How the Grinch Stole Christmas
by KatMadison913
Summary: Every Who down in Whoville like Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lives just north of Whoville...did not. Well, he tolerates with his daughter the Lady in Black celebrates it. Both of them with similar pasts, each one cares for another back in Whoville. So a very special little girl helps save the true meaning of Christmas and bringing them with their loved ones once again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

*No One's POV*

" _Inside a snowflake, like the one of your sleeve, there happened a story you must see to believe_."

Our journey starts with entering into a snowflake where we are greeted by swirls of clouds in eh blue sky. Mount Crumpit stands much taller than the town below.

" _Way up in the mountains, in the high range of Pontoons lay the small town of Whoville; the home of the Whos_."

A few birds flew by as we join in the busy day of the lives of the citizens.

" _Ask my Who, and they'll have this to say: 'There is no place like Whoville around Christmas Day'. Every window was flocked, every lamppost was dressed and the Whoville band marched in their Christmasy best_."

Sure enough members of the marching band plays their amazing instruments along the streets of Whoville. Even the smallest one enjoys the fun. The greeting of 'Merry Christmas' are given everywhere.

" _Arbor Day was fine and Easter was pleasant and every Saint Fizzin's Day, they ate a Frizz pheasant_."

Decorating the big tree, getting shopping done.

" _But every Who knew, from their twelve toes to their snofit they loved Christmas the most, without a single who doubt_."

One of the popular shopping stores here in town is Fargingle's, which many are buying their gifts.

"Fargingle's welcomes you!" the cashier greets the customers with a smile, doing his job. "Merry Christmas! Thank you for shopping Farfingle's!" he continues on with the money.

Among the large crowd is the father of a very special girl. He doesn't know it yet, but he will soon learns. In his hand has the long list of Christmas shopping.

"We got a snoozlephone for your brother Drew and a snoozlephone for your brother Stu," he goes through the list. "A muncle for your uncle, a fant for your aunt anchfandpn for your cousin Leon." That's when he realize something. "So, we just need...Cindy?" he looks everywhere to find his youngest child. "Cindy Lou!"

"Merry Christmas," one customer greeted him.

"Hello Myena. Merry Christmas, Fred. Excuse me," he gently move them away. "Cindy Lou? Honey?" he asked to the child who was holding the stack of presents.

The father takes the center present to reveal Cindy Lou Who.

"Dad?" she's uncomfortable.

"Yea?"

"Doesn't this seem like a bit much?"

"This what Christmas is all about!" he smiles. "Can't you feel it?"

Not wanting to disappoint her father, she simply gives him a sad smile.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Thank you for shopping Farfingle's. Wait a second! Your change!"

"Another minute closer to Christmas!"

"And, for the next five minutes only ninety nine percent off!"

" _Yes, every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot," the focus trails up to the mountain, "but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville…..did not_."

The Grinch's hand reaches out to pull down the telescope.

"Get on it girls!" one teenager boy grins, running up the mountain. "All the good mistletoes' are at the top!" he seems to be leading hsi group of friends.

"Hey Drew, I'll race you!" the other boy joins in the fun.

"Not if I race you first!" Drew, the leader, laughs.

"Last one to the top is a stinky old Grinch!"

Two girls are following the two boys.

"You guys, where are we?" the last one and the shorter girl asked, getting a little scared. "I think we should go back."

"What?" chuckled the shorter male. "You're scared of the Grinch and Lady in Black!"

"No!"

The one named Drew dropped down to the girls' level. "They say he and she lives up in a big cave," he starts to scare them, "and only comes down when they're hungry for the taste of Who flesh!" he startles the girls.

"Drew!" the taller female hits him annoyed.

Drew and his friend both call out playfully, "You're scared of the Grinch! You're scared of the Lady of Black!"

Sounds of the 'Intruder' alarm goes off within the cave. Their laughter and child like behavior echoes in the speakers. Soon the find themselves just feet away from the green and metal door. It leads to the cave. Oh how they are scared to death to see it.

"Go on, touch it. Touch the door," the taller female says. "Do it for me Stu," she speaks in a flirtatious tone to the shorter one.

Stu looks back at her, nodding his head with a nervous smile.

Nervously, Drew and Stu walks towards the door, but before they can even touch it, the door opens and out came a terrifying sight! A large green head growls at them. Screaming at the top of the lungs grew louder when the Lady in Black makes her appearance. She came from one side, screaming at them in anger. Her long dark brown/black hair falls down to her small waist as a long sleeved black dress molds to the shape of her body down to the snow.

"Leave and never return!" she screams to the falling and screaming teenagers.

"Well done Max and Mercy Grace!" the Grinch calls out in approval.

The Lady in Black, or Mercy Grace, smiles happily with her big brown dark brown twinkles to the cave.

"Serves them right, those Yuletide-loving, sickly-sweet, nog-sucking cheer mongers!" the Grinch looks through the gapage display of rotten food until finding a whole onion. "I really don't like them," he says, bringing it close to his mouth. "No, I don't," he takes a bite and eating it. "Max!" the Grinch calls for his dog.

Max whimpers in response.

"Get our cloaks!" he orders him.

Mercy Grace moves the machine back inside.

"I've been much too tolerant of these Whovenile delinguents and their innocent, victimless pranks," he says, taking the onion outside with him. Max brings out two cloaks. "So they want to get to know us, huh daughter?" he asked, rubbing the onion on his armpits before throwing it away.

"They want to spend a little quality time with the Grinch and Lady in Black, father," smirked the Lady in Black, who appears to be a female teenager around sixteen years old with beautiful Who features.

"I guess we could use a little social interaction," he turns to her, "sweet daughter." The corners of his lips curl up into a grinch smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Father and I place on our identical cloaks over our bodies. Since everyone knows that I have my hair down when I'm the Lady in Black, I place my hair in a neat bun under the hood. He has a Who like face mask over his real fact, keeping his identity a secret.

Snickers escape his mouth as his long brown shoe covered feet tip toes on the everyday snow. Mischief is on his mind. My low heeled 1950's inspired black snow boots follows the Grinch's footsteps in the snow. Our faithful companion walks next to us.

We are surrounded by the chaos of Christmas shopping which makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Merry Christmas!" some Whos greeted us.

"Yea, you bet," the Grinch greeted back from behind the mask, "ho, ho, ho and stuff." Then we see a couple of Whos bumping into each other and falling down to the ground. "Oh my, someone has vandalized that vehicle. You see that daughter?" he asked, turning to me. "The city is a dangerous place. So stay close to me."

I nodded my head with a 'hmmhmm'.

He turns to continue on his way with us following him. Behind him was a saw which motions it close to me. I take it while still walking.

" _The Grinch hated Christmas. The whole Christmas season. Now please, don't ask his daughter why. No one quite knows the reason_."

A couple of kids came by our path. Perfect.

"Hey kids, here's a present for you," I smiled to them, giving it to them. "Be sure to run real fast with it. Come on. Double time! Move!" They took it and run off with it. I chuckled a bit.

" _She figured that it could be that his head wasn't screwed on just right_."

Both the Grinch and I did a few mischief actions, just small ones like bumping into the Whos and making them lose their presents to before meeting up again.

" _Or it could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But what Mercy Grace thinks the most likely reason of all, may have been that his heart was two sizes too small_."

"Hey there stranger," a shop clerk stops father, "won't let you go till you buy a chapeau!"

Father turns to him to open his mask. He burps a nasty smell which he blows it to the shop clerk, causing him to fall backwards. The shop clerk falls forward in front of me when Father left.

I smirks and walk over him.

*No One's POV*

A siren like sound and echoes at Fargingle's which causes some concern until the cashier says with a smile, "Lou, you must maxed out your credit card!"

Everyone cheers as if it's a greatest celebration. Well except for Lou's daughter Cindy Lou. She was uncomfortable still and a little confused."

"Boy, nothing beats Christmas right?" he asked happily, while holding presents to their next location.

"I guess…." she needs to tell her father how she feels.

"Well, it's just, I look around at you and Mom and everyone getting all kerbobbled," she tries to tell him. "Doesn't this seem…..superfluous?"

"Dad! Dad!" cries of Lou's other children sounded horrifying.

Came running towards them was Drew and Stu covered in snow and scared to death. The girls are in the same situation.

"What happened to you?" Lou's worried and concerned.

"It was the Grinch and Lady in Black!" Stu exclaims.

Even mentioning the two names caused everyone to step i his their tracks. Fear and terrified read through the big mess.

"Did someone just say 'Grinch' and 'Lady in Black'?" asked the mayor of Whoville as he steps out of his office with two other Whos.

One appeared to his sycophantic aid and the other looks like a younger boy around seventeen years old. Long to shoulders raven black hair with black eyes and ultra pale skin. Slender with muscles and wearing nice clothing in all black. And also handsome Who features.

"Hello Mayor May-Who," Lou nervously smiles to the mayor.

"Lou," Mayor May-Who quietly motions him closer. Lou nervously does so. "I don't need to remind you all that this Christmas marks the one thousandth Whobilation," he whispers to him.

"Whoville's most important celebration," commented his a sycophantic aid.

"And the Book of Who," the mayor snaps his fingers at the younger man, who annoyingly gives him the book, "says very clearly, 'every size of Who we can measure knows that Whobilation is a time we must treasure!'" he reads a quote before closing it again. "Now, Lou please tell me that your boys were not on Mount Crumpit provoking the two creatures within a billion kilometers of here who hates Christmas."

"Was she alright?" the younger boy asked the boys concerned.

"Not now Kyle," the mayor growls under his breath to him.

"But Uncle Augustus!" Kyle glares at his uncle who is the mayor.

"No sir," Lou speaks up, pulling their attention to them while covering his sons' mouths, "the boys didn't see any Grinch or Ladies in Black." He turns around to face them, still covering them. "I think they were up on the countain playing with matches, or defacing private property, or…." Lou was giving our excuses.

Mayor May-Who sighs in relief. "That's a relief. Alright, you hear the man: There is no Grinch nor Lady in Black problem here," he tells to the citizens of Whoville.

Everyone continue with their merry way. Mayor May-Who was having a quiet argumentative talk. Possibly about the Lady in Black. Kyle simply glares at him while crossing his arms on his chest.

Lou begins to pick up presents when Cindy Lou asked him, "Dad, what's the Grinch and Lady in Black?"

"Oh you don't worry things like those," he assures her, smiling. "I need to go to work and you need to go to school."

She let's go and begins to walk towards school, but along her way, she notices the Mayor's nephew Kyle looking up to the mountain with black eyes filled with different emotions. Hurt, depress, concern, worry, missing someone, and maybe…..love?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

*Cindy Lou's POV*

For the last day of school before Christmas vacation, we have to tell our teacher what we are going to for our school report over the break. At first, I wasn't sure what to do on my report, but now I do.

"Cindy Lou," my teacher calls for me like she did for the others.

I stand up from my seat and speak, "I've decided to do on my report on two mysterious Christmas figures…..the Grinch and the Lady in Black."

As soon as I mentioned those words, the curtains flip open surprising all of us. Mainly shocking our teacher. I simply smiled, shrugging it off.

"Cindy Lou Who!" she exclaims to me, once getting her boundaries together. "You're staying after school!" that made everyone 'ooo' with smiles on their faces.

After school, the bell rings for Christmas vacation and everyone ran out happily almost knocking my Dad out. He manages to hold himself up and smiles to me.

'I'll take care of this,' he motions to me.

I nodded my head worried.

Dad walks over tos the desks and speaks to my teacher, "Uhh, Ms. Ru Who, I understand that you are keeping Cindy-"

"Sit down Lou!" she instructed him. Pointing to the desk with her ruler.

"Yes ma'am," he sits down.

"Mr. Lou Who," she places the ruler down, "your daughter…." she wasn't able to say the words.

"All I said was, 'I was planning on to do on my report on two mysterious Christmas figures…...the Grinch and the Lady in Black'."

"Well you know Cindy, you really shouldn't be bringing up the Grinch and the Lady in Black," my Dad says to me.

The curtains flew open again at the mention of them, surprising them. Dad stood up, but he was stuck in the desk. He tried to get it off, but couldn't.

So he walks over to the desk to tell her, "don't worry about this, we'll take care of this. You properly remember me of how I was when I was little. Now I'm working as a postman at Whoville's Post Office."

"By the way," she speaks, "have you found my package?"

"No we haven't."

Somehow, Dad manages to get the desk off of him. He offers his hand to me. I accepted it and he takes me out of school.

"We'll talk about this later Cindy," Dad says to me, "now we need to get back to the post office."

"Okay," I sighed.

When we arrived to his work, countless of Whos with wrapped Christmas presents, calling for him.

He grabs a lot of presents and gets on a rolling ladder to sort them.

"But Dad," I speak up to him, "I just don't understand something. Why won't anyone talk about the Grinch and the Lady in Black?"

"You kids and curious minds," he chuckles, throwing the presents into the sorting machine. "You see Cindy," he pushes himself to the other side, "the Lady in Black, first of all, is a Who, who had a bad experience of during one Christmas. She's the same age as your brothers. And the Grinch is a Who, who always…..Actually," Dad chuckles a little, "he's not a Who. He's more of a….."

"A what?" I asked.

"Exactly honey," he gets a few letters from a co worker. "And he's a What who doesn't like Christmas. Take a look at his mailbox, sweetie." And which I did. "Not a simple Christmas card, in or out. Ever!"

The mailbox that has been labelled the Grinch is completely green and covered in cobwebs.

"But why?" I asked curiously.

He was about to answer when the crowds get more crazy.

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Father, Max, and I are in the backroom of Whoville's Post Office. Making mischief as usual.

"It'll take them years to sort this out," snickered Father. "This is his and now it's yours, and this hers and now it's his!" He mixes up the mail.

I smirked, getting an idea, as I pick up a handful of random mail.

"Here you go Father," I have them to him.

"Good idea my sweet little daughter," he chuckles, accepting them. "And for the rest of you. Jury duty! Jury duty! Jury duty! Blackmail! Pink Slip. Chain letter. Eviction notice. Jury duty!" he throws them like darts to each mailbox.

*No One's POV*

"Would you mind helping me take this to the backroom honey?" Lou asked his daughter, giving her some mail. "Be careful of the sorting machine, right?" he smiles a little.

"Yea," she says, taking them.

Having them hear someone coming, both the Grinch and the Lady in Black quickly find places to hide. He manages to get up on a high corner with Max. She barely get behind the pile of presents next to the entrance.

Cindy Lou enters in, trying to find a place to place the letters when she felt something watching her. An eerie feeling sends a chill down her spine when she look over to where Mercy Grace is.

Fear and panic shook her body as the sixteen year old Who girl tries to keep quiet by holding her breath. Just as when she seriously need to breath, the Grinch's mask falls down to catch the little girl's attention.

She kneels down to get the mask and merely shrugs. This cause the father/daughter duo to sigh in relief. Then Max sneezes.

"Gesundheit," the Grinch says out of habit until realizing it.

Cindy Lou turns around to look up in fear. She screamed terrified. The Grinch mocks it. Mercy Grace screams, revealing herself. Cindy screams again terrified at her.

Both Father and Daughter stands in front of the terrified little girl, staring down at her.

"You're the….the….the…" Cindy Lou is looking at Mercy Grace.

"The, the, the," she mocks her before raising her voice again, "the Lady in Black!"

She screams again before turning to the Grinch with the same juster.

"The Grinch!" he says in a deep, terrifying tone.

Another scream caused her to fall backwards into the sorting machine!

"Well, that worked out nicely," the Grinch stars in surprised.

"Help! Help me! Somebody!"

Mercy Grace snaps out of her shock and went over to get the little out.

"Max, Mercy Grace, let's go. OUr work here is finished," the unhelpful Grinch says, walking away.

Max bites his master's behind. Now normally the Lady in Black laugh at is sort of thing, but can't. She's trying all of her might to get her out, but the machine is winning, taking both of them!

"Father, help!" Mercy Grace calls for him, sinking down more.

The Grinch groans annoyed, "Bleeding hearts of the world, untie!"

With all of her strength, he pulls up his daughter to make the process of getting the little girl. He places her down so he and the Lady in Black could stare down at her. Either with a glare or a concern look.

"Give me that!" the Grinch roughly takes his mask from her. "Don't you know you shouldn't take things that don't belong to you? What's your problem? Are you some kind of a wild animal? Huh?" he yells at her.

She shook her head no.

"Let's go," he says to his daughter, beginning to head out.

"Thank you for saving me," Cindy Lou thanked them.

That made the Grinch and the Lady in Black to stop in their tracks. His hands made a screeching like sound against the glass. Mercy Grace watches in silence as her father glares at the little girl.

"Saving you?" he says, not liking it. "Is that what you think we were doing?"

She nods her head.

"Wrong-o," he moves his long, hairy finger side to side. The Grinch grabs the long Christmas wrapping paper and walks slowly towards the little Who girl. "We merely noticed that you were improperly packaged my dear," he says to the frighten Cindy Lou Who. Very quickly begins to wrap the girl while yelling, "hold still!" Then the Grinch says to Mercy Grace, "Daughter, pick out a bow!"

She randomly picks a golden bow and gives it to him.

Soon later, Cindy Lou Who is completely wrapped up while the small family exists the Post Office.

"Hello! Hello!" she calls out originally for the Grinch and the Lady in Black.

"Cindy?" her father asks, hearing her call, entering in.

"Dad! Daddy!" she calls for him, hearing his voice from under the wrapping paper. "Daddy!"

"What the hey…?" he asked confused, walking over to her. "Honey. Cindy?" he opens the paper, freeing Cindy Lou, kneeling down.

"Dad! It was amazing!" she smiles big, excited about the event happened.

"You've been practicing your Christmas wrapping!" Lou smiles, thinking it's that. "I am so proud of you!"

"Oh," Cindy says a little soft.

"Now that's holiday!" he smiles more, helping her out of the paper more.

" _Sweet little Cindy Lou didn't know what to do. In her head, bum-tumbled a conflict or two. 'If the Grinch and the Lady in Black are so bad, then why did they save me? Maybe they aren't so bad.' Maybe. Just maybe."_

*Later*

Lou and Cindy arrives home after a long day of work, school, and shopping.

"No light on in the house," Lou notices when they unpack the car. "Your mom must be shopping."

"Good, I'm so glad you're home," Cindy's mom appears on the top of the house, turning on the lights. "I can feel it, Lou. This is the year. When everyone asks who has the most spectacular lights in greater Whoville they're gonna cry out, 'Mrs. Betty Lou Who!'" She sounds very excited for the Lights and Display Contest, doesn't she?

Lou notices something on the ground. So he places the presents down to pick it up, "isn't this the chandelier from the dining room?"

"It's all for the cause, dear," Betty answers, decorating more on the house. "And Cindy?" she smiles to their daughter. "Could you be Mommy's Little Helper and unscrew the bulb from the refrigerator? 'Cause somehow I missed that one."

Cindy looks at her dad, who smiles and tells her, "Go on!"

She simply shrugs and walks into the house with presents in her arms.

Betty begins to mumble to herself, "Every year Martha May Whovier has the best lights." SHe angrily places everything around. "Not this year. This year I'm gonna beat that prim, perfect little prissy…"

"Betty!" their neighbor calls out, wearing a Christmas outfit. "Hi!"

"Martha!"

"My, I've never seen so many beautiful Christmas lights, Betty Lou," she smiles, liking the Lou Who house.

"I'd blow every fuse if I tried to keep up with you, Martha May!"

"Isn't this antique darling?" Martha holds a small chandelier like antique. "It's handcrafted and almost one hundred years old."

"Jeez, I'm really impressed," Betty mumbles.

"This, however, is new," Martha walks over to the covered object.

When she reveals it, Betty immediately has the 'I gotta have it' look. Martha turns it on and the machine begins to decorate a couple railings with white Christmas lights. Betty continues on watching with the atlook and leaning to the side to see more, but the wire she is holding gets pulled. This cause Lou up by a pile of lights.

"Betty! Betty! Sweetie!" he tries to get her attention, but she continues on.

When Martha finishes the railing, she walks over to the front to blow the smoke away. "Well goodnight Betty," Martha smiles to her.

Betty just nods.

Just as when she was about to enter into her home, a car pulls up in front of her driveway. She turns to see her childhood friends. The Mayer and his sycophantic aide, Whobris. Also there's the Mayor's nephew, Kyle Ray, who she sees as a son.

"Hello Martha!" Mayor Maywho calls out.

"Augustus," she makes her disguised and cruises. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

Augustus Maywho is in the passenger seat while Whobris was the driver. Kyle Ray was sitting in the backseat, wearing his nice, but not too nice, clothing in his favorite color. Black.

"Well….uhh...I uhh," he's nervous and stutter at her beauty. "I was out in about," Kyle rolls his eyes and cross his arms, "I was thinking…"

"Ask you out," Whobris smiles.

"This sort of my deal," he says to him.

"I won't be a third wheel," he whispers back.

Then the Mayor made up some excuse to distract him, but end up chasing after him. Martha watches in annoyance and disgust at the two.

"Hello Ms. Whoiver," Kyle Ray shows his annoyance to his uncle and assistant. "I see that you enjoy the gift I gave you," he noticed the machine in the driveway.

"Yes it's quite nice, but you didn't have to," she smiles softly.

"Martha," he chuckles, "you're like a mother to me and….I miss her," he lowers his head.

"I miss her too Kyle," she says, lowering her head as well. "What about this, since you 'accidentally' left some clothes here, you can spend the night?" she smiles.

"I need to get out of the house Ms. Whovier," he really needs to get out of his uncle's house.

"On your eighteenth birthday," she instructed him, "you're moving in with me so I can help you get your life in order without your uncle's help."

"Thank you Martha," he smiles.

"You're welcome Kyle Ray," she smiles back. "Let's get you inside out of this cold and get some hot chocolate and cookies."

"Can we make Mercy Grace's favorites?" he asked, walking in the house.

"Of course we can."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

*No One's POV*

The telephone rings at the Lou Who Residence. Both Lou and Betty runs over to answer.

"I got it!"

"Honey, I've got it!"

"Hello?" Lou answers it. "Is my sub-zero chillibrator running? I suppose."

"You better go catch it!" the Grinch raises his voice before hanging up the prank call. He laughs at the playful act. "That's a good one! That is rich."

Mercy Grace looks tired and yawns in her hand.

"Let's go home," he says.

The easiest way to get home is through the garbage shoot.

Grinch opens it and Max started to enter first, but he stops him. "Fleas before beauty, thank you," he stated.

Mercy Grace was confused, but allowed her father first and then her little brother before her. The Grinch pushes the button and they are suck into the shoot. No matter how tired one is, it's always have using the garbage shoot up Mount Crumpit.

"Yahoo!" she screams, appearing out and drop down on the pile.

Her father and brother appear out, joining her.

"You really enjoy this don't you?" Grinch asked the smiling Who teen.

She smiles more and nodding her head.

Then the familiar sound of something going through the shoot.

"Oh good, another load coming out," smiled the Grinch.

A few bags rolled down to the father and daughter.

Mercy Grace smells something, "ugh, what is that stinch?"

"It's fantastic!" her father got excited.

The bags are red and has the words 'hazardous waste' across on them.

"Max, Mercy Grace, you two grab a bag," he says. Grabbing two for himself. "We'll come back for the rest."

"Of course you really mean only Max and I," she smirks, following them up the moutain.

"What can I say, daughter? 'One man's toxic sludge is another man's potpourri'," he says, turning to her, and continuing on.

"Do you even know what that is?" Mercy Grace asked as Max barks.

"I don't know, it's some kind of soap."

*Down in Whoville*

Back in Whoville, Cindy Lou wears her pink pajamas and her braids down. She holds her flashlight with a mind filled with questions and curiosity.

Her dancing ballerina music box plays music in front of her as the little girl sits in her chair.

" _Where are you Christmas_?" she begins to sing. " _Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away_?" In her free hand holds her baby stocking. It's pink with white polka dots and her name stitched in it. Cindy Lou places it down. " _My world is changing_ ," she walks over to her vanity, to look in the mirror, " _I'm rearranging. Does that mean Christmas changes too_?"

The light of her flashlight fans over her Christmas letter to Santa, saying, " _Dear Santa, I'm not sure what to ask for this Christmas_."

" _Where are you, Christmas_?" she sings to her Christmas tree. " _Do you remember the girl you used to know? You and I were so carefree_ ," she walks over to her window, facing Mount Crumpit. " _Now nothing's easy. DId Christmas change or just me_?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

The one thing that Father doesn't know is that I have been receiving letters from Kyle Ray Maywho for years since I disappeared from Whoville. He was the only friend I had when I was in Who school. The first Christmas away from Whoville was when I first realized a card from him under the 'Buzz Off!' mat. And since then I have been hiding them from Father. Luckily, he still hasn't seen one yet.

Father opens the larger door for the three of us. Just as I thought, under the mat is a green colored envelope. I picked it up and place it under my cloak before entering in to close the door.

He turns on the light as I place my bag on the launcher where the poster of the mayor is. Father pulls the level and we see the bag hitting the mayor in the face!

"Oh! Sweet!" Grinch enjoyed the results.

The machine turns on while we get out of the cloaks to feel the nice, warmth from the furnist.

"Be it ever so 'Heinous'. There's no place like home!" Father lights up the whole cave while raising up his arms.

I sit down in my comfy chair to take off my boots to show my bare feet.

"First floor, factory rejects. Those Whos are hard to frazzle, Max, Mercy Grace!" he says to us, using the lift down to the second level.

"But we did our worst, Daddy," I smiled, going behind the red and green cover close to the dining room to change.

"And that's all that matters daughter," he says, going over to his cover. "At least we scared the bejeebles out of that little girl at the post office. She'll be scarred for life, if we're lucky."

"Funny, she didn't rat on us though," I mumbled, replacing my Lady in Black dress to my nightgown. "Must be afraid of reprisals."

The nightgown that I always wear for the night is a simple, long solid black nightgown with a matching robe. So the extra pale skin won't be showing, especially since I live two other males.

I meet up with Father at the heart machine which I turn on.

"I feel bad daughter," I hear him say. "Real bad."

"Oh really?" I smirked, shaking my head.

"Yea, I'm all…..dead inside," he snickers, joking.

He was never the sympathy or empathy type which I already knew that he was joking. Father returns to me at the top for his daily heart check. The cave echos his enjoyment.

I place the screen over his chest and put it into focus. The x-ray shows his curvy spine and ribs, small lungs, and some foreign objects, but we were focus on his heart. Which was pumping a steady pace.

"Yes!" exclaimed the Grinch, making me grin. "Down a size and a half! And this time, I'll keep it off."

My head shook again.

"Get the stick, Max," he say to my little brother with a pretend stick. "Get the stick!" he throws it made Max running after it. "There's no stick!" he snickers. "I'm smarter." Father makes a running start to jump on his springy bed. "Any calls?" he checks out voicemail.

"You have no messages."

"Odd. Beck check the outgoing."

He presses the button and his voice on the recording plays, "If you utter so much as one syllable we'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish!"

"If you'd like to fax us, press the star key," Mercy Grace's voice adds in.

"Oh, well."

He gets out of his bed and ziplines down to the sitting area to his chair. "That's more like it."

I made sure that Max is comfortable in his bed before giving Father his drink that I found laying around. Father sings to himself while removing his long socks away. Which they run off on their way.

Then he bites into the glass of the bottle that I gave him and chews it. "Excellent year, Mercy Grace," he comments when I sit on my bed next to a large curtin on the edge of the mountain. "I'll tell you, Max and Mercy Grace, I don't know why I ever leave this place. I've got all the company I need right here." One would say he meant Max and I, but he meant the space in the cave. "Hello!" he calls out in the cave that echoes back in, 'Hello!'

"How are you?"

"How are you?"

"I asked you first."

"I asked you first."

"That's really mature, saying what I say!" he's getting frustrated with the echo.

"Mature...exactly...what I say…"

"I'm an idiot!" he thinks of something.

"You're an idiot!" it echoes back.

"Wow," I chuckled.

Father glares at me. "Alright, fine," he whispers to the echo. "I'm talking to you anymore. In fact, I'm going to whisper. So that by the time my voice reverberates off the walls and gets back to me I won't be able to hear it!"

"You're an idiot!" it echoes back.

I begin to lay down under the multi dark colored blanket that I made out of old blankets. Max joins with me in my bed and I pet him before fully laying down.

"Am I just eating because I'm bored?" I hear Daddy mumbled.

"I love you Daddy," I whispered to him, pretending to drift to sleep.

"Yea, yea," he says then he whispers softly, "I love you too Mercy Grace."

After a few minutes, when I know for sure that Daddy and Max are asleep, I secretly take out the box of letters from Kyle Ray from under my bed and place it next to me opposite from Max.

Inside the new envelope lays a Christmas card with a scene of a cabin in the forest with snow covering everywhere during the night sky. My hand opens it and the card is a mixture of light blue and dark blue.

" _Mercy Grace,_

 _Another Christmas has come. You are always on my mind since our last encounters. Now it's here, I have been thinking about you more. Are you alright? Your mother and I are missing you terribly. Yes I know you are unable to come down as your true self._

 _A promise that I need to make is to go up Mount Crumpit without anyone knowing. It's hard to do so just like your situation. I hope that I can have you once more._

 _Kyle Ray_."

The card message says, " _May you know this season how much you mean to me. Without you, there is no joy in my world_."

Countless times, I want to tell him how he means to me as well, but couldn't. Father always hated Mayor Maywho and Kyle Ray having the same last name as him, he wouldn't be happy.

My hand moves an old, worn out curtin that I patched up to reveal a beautiful view of Whoville. How could such a beautiful, wonderful place be so cruel? Especially to the ones who are different from the rest?

Countless times the thought of returning down there without Father and Max because I needed to see the two people that I also hold dear to my heart. My mother and my first friend.

I close my eyes as I remember them.

*Flashback*

"Mercy Grace," my mother, Martha May Whovier, smiles, kneeling down to my five year old self. "Mercy Grace, sweetie, it's normal to be nervous on the first day of school."

"But what if the other kids won't like me?" I asked nervously, all dressed in the girls' uniform and my long hair is pulled back with two long braids looped up in the back.

"If they don't like you then they aren't worthy to be your friends okay?" she assures me.

"Okay Mommy," I smiled back, feeling a little better.

She drops me off at the school with a goodbye kiss and hug. I walk towards the classroom. My hand grips on my backpack's strap nervously.

There were other kids there at the desks and talking to friends they just met. My head lowers shyly as I walk down a row to my desk. As I walk by someone, they will whisper about me with a laugh. Finally, I get to my desk and sit down.

"Hi," a male whispers next to me.

I look up to my right and my eyes lock with the most amazing eyes I ever seen! He was looking deep within my boring brown eyes.

"I'm Kyle Ray," he introduces himself.

"Mercy Grace."

"It's your first day of school as well?" he asked.

I nod my body.

"You're a shy one huh?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to a lot of new people," I said, looking down a little embarrassed.

"Being around new people isn't for me as well," Kyle sighs, but then smiles to me. "Well at least, I get to meet you."

My blush turns from embarrassment to maybe liking him a lot. I smiled back softly.

*End of Flashback*

A sigh escapes through my lips as I sadly close the curtain.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

*Next Morning*

*No One's POV*

A knock appears at the door of the house where the Grinch used to live in.

"Who could that be?" one of his caretakers asked, opening it.

It reveals to be Cindy Lou.

"Hello, little girl," the caretaker greets with a smile. "Are you here to read to us?"

"No," she answers. Then she lowers her voice into a whisper, "I hear you know some things about the Grinch." She shows them a newspaper article, saying the Grinch has been spotted on Mount Crumpit.

" _Cindy Lou had some questions in her curious heart. Why did the Grinch and the Lady in Back hate Christmas? Where did it all start? With her dad's blabbacorder she wouldn't give an inch_."

"In your own words," Cindy Lou says, holding the smaller part of the corder, "please tell me everything you know about the Grinch. Where did he came from?"

"He came the way all Who babies come. On calm nights, baby Who girls and tiny Who fellas drift from the sky in their own pembersellas."

A series of pumbersellas drift from the sky and lay on different porches in Whoville. One came down to one porch where the father just came out to place the milk bottles outside. The baby makes a sound and catching his attention.

"Hey honey! Our baby's here!"

The baby makes another sound, making a weird look on his face.

"It looks just like your boss."

"Oh," Cindy Lou smiles, "that's how it works!"

"Hmm-mmm. It was Christmas Eve and a strange wind blow that night."

A worn out pumbersella carries a baby Grinch down to Whoville. He's an adorable little baby with an early age of mischief. Soon later, he gently falls down to a tree outside of his future caretakers' house.

"We were having our annual holiday get-together."

The house is filled with people having a rather good time and music in the background. Even to the point when everyone needs to place their keys in a jar.

"It was morning before anybody realized that he was out there. The poor fella! But you know what? We knew right away that he was special."

Baby Grinch sits in his high chair and let a burp.

"Do you want a Christmas cookie?" one of his caretakers asked with a smile, using a baby like tone.

"Yes, which Christmas cookie would you like?" the other one was holding a Santa plate filled with cookies.

"Santa," he speaks for the first time.

"His first words!" they got excited.

"Yes, that is a Santa plate. Do you want this Santa plate?" she offered.

He places his hands on it and takes a bite of the plate, surprising them!

"Santa, bye-bye."

"He was a wonderful whatever he was. And we raise him like any other Who child. With a deep love of Christmas."

A classroom shows an eight year old Grinch drawing something relating to his own Christmas. Grinning and chuckling at his work.

"Don't forget, tomorrow is our big Christmas gift exchange," their teacher, a young Ms. Ru Who, smiles to the class. "Everyone bring a special gift for a special someone."

The Grinch rolls his eyes at this.

"The Grinch?" Martha asked which Cindy Lou nods her head. "He had no sense of color coordination. Although I hardly remember him. I didn't have time socialize. I was too busy with my studies."

Her 'studies' mainly contains of admiring the Grinch, maybe even flirting with him, and licking her lollipop.

"And if the truth be told he….he liked Martha," Mayor Maywho explains, while his assistant polishing his shoes. "Martha was my girlfriend and unfortunately they had a child together later in life."

"Her name is Mercy Grace," Kyle Ray says to Cindy Lou. "She's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

An eight year old Mercy Grace enters into the classroom with her usual head bow clutching onto her school bag.

"She's always quiet and keep to herself," her brother, Drew, says, talking about their old classmates."

"It's always a shame because she always has an A+ in everything and I mean everything!" her brother, Stu, adds in.

"Mercy Grace and the Grinch are very similar to each other," Martha explains.

"Mainly due to the fact, she is his daughter."

The outcast sits in her usual seat while the outcast boy tells her to not worry.

"I didn't really approve of Mercy Grace because she had moments that reminded me of her father," Maywho explained.

"We didn't care about my uncle's disapproval," Kyle Ray adds in. "We always were together as if we were Bonnie and Clyde," he chuckles. "A famous outlaw couple," the seventeen year old explained to the confused little girl.

"Oh," she understood now.

"Everyone, tomorrow's our big gift exchange," their teacher smiles to Mercy Grace's classmates. "Remember to bring a special gift for a special someone."

Kyle Ray smiles to the shy little Mercy Grace when school was finished.

"You know," he says to her smiling, "I am only interested in giving one present to the only one I truly care about." His small, slender fingers gently places the strand of hair that was covering her cute face behind her ear.

Immediately, she blushes and looking in his eyes.

"May I walk you out of the school?" the little boy asked.

She nods her head, still blushing.

"I don't like discussing this Grinch and Lady in Black so very close to Christmas, but maybe if you hear the truth, you'll understand why….put your back into it!" he exclaims to his assistant before turning back to the little girl calmly. "You see, I try to take the Grinch under my wing."

Sure. An eight year old Augustus Maywho with his friend walks up the Grinch.

"You don't have a chance with her," he glares at him. "You're eight years old and you have a beard!"

Most of the classmates laugh at that.

"He had hair. Not pleasant," Mayor Maywho explained, disgust. "He shed. Not right."

The Grinch begins to walk out of the class when he can across Martha.

"You know, Christmas is my favorite time of year," she smiles.

He rolls his eyes.

"I just love the colors. The red and the green," she still smiles, caressing his cheek,

The Grinch gasps at her affections towards him. Martha waves, smiling more before standing up to leave.

"Did I have a crush on the Grinch?" Martha laughs. "Of course not."

"I didn't ask you that," Cindy Lou says.

She was little surprised, realizing it. "Right."

"Mercy Grace and I share something that is more then just crushes," Kyle Ray says sadly, lowering his head.

Cindy Lou looks at him sadly, feeling bad for him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

*No One's POV*

"For some reason, when he came home that day he really got into the Christmas spirit for the first time."

He goes through the trash cans and finds what looks like a cyndinor object that wides out and there's a platform.

"Perfect!" he exclaims grinning.

Several silverware drop down from a drawing many sounds.

"Whoospie!" the Grinch grins, playing innocent.

Remembering something, the young Grinch rapidly looks through one of her caretakers' stuff. One box opens and he pulls out a necklace with different gemstones.

"What a lovely family heirloom!" he comments grinning, knowing exactly what to do with it.

He uses a hammer to smash up the gemstones out, having a great time. One by one a gemstone gets place on the wings part of the gift.

A fire is lite on a pot as a pliers like objects is in his hand.

"The fires of love!" he says grinning again, having the object over the fire. "This will be perfect on the top of her tree," he screws two pieces together. "Oh, Martha! Oh, Christmas!"

Martha's gift from the Grinch is a beautifully handmade, metal angel topper for the tree.

Everything was going great for him until he sees himself in the mirror.

'I want you all to look your best tomorrow.'

'You don't have a chance with her. You're eight years old and you have a beard!"

Their voices run through his head. He moves his hands against to feel the beard. In his heart, he wants to be the only boy for her and the thought of it peer pressured him to do the unthinkable. A razor is picked up and turn on.

"Mommy! Can we go to the store pretty please?" an excited, smiling little Mercy Grace asks her mother.

"Oh may, what do you need at the store?" Martha was surprised at her quiet daughter's outburst.

"I have a gift exchange tomorrow and I want to give someone a gift," she mules, blushing at the thought of Kyle Ray.

"She reminded me so much like the Grinch," Martha says to Cindy Lou. "Whenever we go out shopping, Mercy Grace will always want to go to the Arts and Crafts store."

The little girl gets everything to make something special for the little boy. Martha watches with a smile at her daughter's creative mind.

"Oh, I sure hope this will make his Christmas tree even better!" Mercy Grace smiles big, using the hot glue gun.

Soon later, two homemade Christmas ornaments are made. Each are the same with an oval green background and red, beautiful lace in borders is glued onto the background. Making it an illusion of an antique mirror. She makes a finished touch of a 'K' on one of them and another one has a 'M'. Originally, she was going to put a 'R' and a 'G', but it didn't fit.

"Who's the special person in your class, Mercy Grace?" Martha asked about the 'K'.

She immediately blushed and answers, "Kyle Ray Maywho."

Martha smiles. She knows about the little boy and definitely approves of him, even though his uncle is the Mayor of Whoville.

Her mother helps Mercy Grace with placing them in a small green box and wrapped with a red ribbon. A small name tag has the writing of 'To: Kyle Ray From: Mercy Grace' in the little girl's handwriting.

The next day, everyone in the classroom give each other the presents for them. Kyle Ray stays behind them because he's looking for Mercy Grace. In his hand hold a green envelope.

"Kyle Ray?" a very soft, female voice speaks to him.

He smiles and turns to the owner of the voice. It's Mercy Grace, looking cute and beautiful as ever to him.

"Mercy Grace," he smiles more.

"M-Merry Christmas," she stutters a little as she shyly smiles, going him his gift.

"Merry Christmas, Mercy Grace," he smiles again, giving her gift.

Her smile grows more, accepting it. He accepts his gift.

"Should we open them now or when we get home?" she asked him.

"I don't mind opening them now," he smiles, suggesting.

Mercy Grace smiles again, nodding her head.

Kyle Ray takes her by the arm towards black corner. She blushes at his touch on her arm. His strong, yet gentle touch.

Her green envelope has a Christmas card. A cute card with birds in dark red and red feathers facing one another. Between their beaks is a small red heart and on top of the card says, 'With Love At Christmas' in beautiful cursive.

Inside of the card has a message, saying, "When I wake in the morning, I think of you. When I go to bed, I think of you. You're always i my mind, Simply because you are one of a kind.' Kyle's writing of 'Merry Christmas Mercy Grace, Like, Kyle Ray'.

She blushes madly at the like part.

'He likes me! He really likes me!' she says to herself, smiling big secretly.

"Oh wow, Mercy Grace!" Kyle Ray smiles big, picking the M ornament by it's red ribbon. "These are beautiful. I am definitely putting these on my tree tonight."

Seeing the nice year old boy's big smile makes her smile more..

Everything was going amazing until after school. He's walking her home and at some point he decided to hold her black gloved hand. She looks down to see what it is. The blushing smile on her face shows that the eight year old girl likes him too.

"Has everyone given their gifts?" the teacher asked Martha's class.

"I haven't," the Grinch announced.

Everyone look over to where he is. Behind the coat rack. He soon reveals himself, but a paper bag with eyes is over his head, and in his arms hold the homemade gift.

"Merry Christmas Martha May," he shows the gift.

"Why do you have a bag on your head?" Ms. Ru Who asked.

"Properly because he's embarrassed by that hideous gift," jokes Augustus, making most of the students laughed.

"Mr. Grinch, please take the bag off," his teacher says to him softly when he sat down.

He holds the ends of the bag.

"Yes, you. Take it off."

His textbook stands up so his face will be covered when he takes it off.

"Put the book down."

It processed with his foot covering his face.

"And your foot."

Processed. The Grinch had quite a few cuts on his cheeks.

"Look at that hack job!" Augustus bullied him, making most of the students laugh.

Something snapped inside the Grinch and Martha May. Fury, but he lashes out before she could defend him.

"Stupid present!" he stood up to throw the angel to the pile of presents, shocking everyone. "Stupid tree! I hate Christmas!" the young Grinch roars, lifting up the classroom's tree over his head.

"The anger," Mayor Maywho adds in.

"The fury!" his assistant joins in.

"The muscles!" Martha breaths.

Everyone runs, fearing for their lives. Martha May was still in shock and wanted so badly to run over to the Grinch to tell him everything she has always felt and calm him down. He looks at her, possibly shrugging an apology before running away.

"It was a horrible day when they were so cruel to him," Martha says sadly. "Just like what happened to our beautiful daughter. And I could hardly bear it."

Little Martha May kneels down on the floor to hold a couple of pieces of the most beautiful gift she has ever had.

"No! No!" Kyle's uncle comes in fury of the scene before him. "That's it!" he grabs the small girl roughly.

"Uncle Augustus! What are you doing?!" Kyle screams at him seriously worried at the struggling Grinch/Who girl.

"Taking this spawn where it belongs," he glares out at his nephew opening the garbage shoot.

"Uncle Augustus! Don't!" Kyle tries to grab Mercy Grace out of the tight grip, but gets thrown to the snowy grounds.

Mercy Grace is thrown into the shoot and travels to the mountain by the push of a button.

"If you tell Martha or the police about this, I will have you starving the streets," Mayor Maywho glares deadly at his nephew.

Cindy Lou gasps shocked as Kyle Ray nods sadly.

"Mommy!" Little Mercy Grace screams out as she slides all the way towards the mountain.

She's terrified of what just happened and what's happening. The little girl soon finds herself sliding up high out of the shoot and landing a large pile of garbage.

"Who goes there?!" screamed an unfamiliar male voice, startling her.

Looking up, her light brown eyes meet a pair of yellow eyes. Something inside of them both tells them the beings in front of them who they have been looking for.

"D-Daddy?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Mercy Grace?" he asked, walking over to her.

After a few moments of silence, the Grinch became really worried.

"Who throw you out?" he asked in a deep voice.

"M-Mayor May-Maywho," she answers, still shook up.

"That snake," he mumbles under his breath. "Come on daughter, let's get you inside for warmth."

She nods her head, begin to follow him.

Just like when she was a child, Martha has a single tear run down her cheek.

That was eight years ago. Each and every night Mercy Grace will stand outside and looks down to the lifeless Whoville. Tears run down her cold cheeks. Although she misses her mommy and Kyle very much, but Kyle seems to never leave her.

"Somewhere out there," she sings, moving her hand forward down to the Whoville, "beneath the pale moonlight, someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight."

"Somewhere out there," Kyle Ray is laying on his windowsill, looking out to the mountain, "someone's saying a prayer, that we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there. And even though I know how very far apart we are," he lowers his head in depression, "it helps to think we might be wishing be wishing on the same bright star."

A star in the sky shines bright.

"And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky," she sings, feeling a couple of tears down her face.

"Somewhere out there, if love can see us through, then we'll be together, somewhere out there, out where dreams come true," they both sing together, closing their eyes, thinking about their shared dreams together.

Getting married, having a family, and just living the life that they always dreamed of together.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

*No One's POV*

" _So whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, they stood outside their cave, sharing their hate with Whos_."

Mercy Grace gives her father the Who Phonebook. He opens and says, "Alphabetically. Aardvarkian Alabenezer Who….we HATE YOU!" his scream echos through the mountains, causing some birds to fly away. "Aaron B. Benon Who, we hate you," the Grinch says calmly.

He shows the open book to both of them to see.

"Hate, hate, hate," Mercy Grace went through the list with an evil smirk. "Hate, hate, hate."

"Double date," he adds in.

"Loathe entirely!" they both said at the same time when they came across with the Mayor's name.

She hears something. "Nutcrackers….it's their Whobilation!" she realizes it.

" _He snarled with a sneer_."

"Tomorrow is Christmas," the Grinch realizes it too. "It's practically here!"

Mercy Grace throws the phonebook away when the Grinch calls for their pet for his sedative.

"Now to take care of those pesky memories," he says to the large hammer before hitting him unconsciousness."

Down in Whoville, every Who heads towards the celebration of the nomination. Each one are dressed in a theme that relates to either the Whobilation or the family theme of the Whobilation.

"Whobilation, plentiful with candy canes and pies. I can't wait to get here to eat some google fries. Whobilitation, Whobilation!" some Whos chant some Whobiliation chants along the way.

Cindy is heading towards the celebration with her brothers and Father. Their theme's a picnic. A thought has been on her mind lately and she thinks it is time to tell.

"Dad?" she speaks up to him.

"Yea," he says, focusing on something in his hand instead.

"I've been thinkin about the Whobilation and I may do something drastic."

"That's fine, dear. Ask your mother."

Cindy look at where her mother was, but she's gone. "Where did she go?" that question got his attention.

"Honey!" Betty Lou Who runs towards them smiling big and holding a traffic light. "Honey! Hi! Look, I just found the cutest light for my Christmas display." With the lack of a traffic light, an accident occurs behind them. "Hurry up, we're gonna be late. Come on," she says seriously, hurrying up the family.

Kyle Ray wears his finicest black on black dress robes for the celebration as he escorts Martha up to the stand. He's there to make her feel comfortable.

"And now, the nominations for that Who among us who best typifies the qualities of Whodom and Whodery the Whoville holiday cheermeister!" Mayor Maywho announces through the speakers, having everyone cheer. "Do I hear a nomination?"

"I nominate the Grinch!" Cindy calls out.

Everyone is shock to hear her say that as they look at her. Martha and Kyle Ray are the most surprised and impressed.

"My, my, my," Mayor Maywho chuckles. "What an altruistic daughter you have there, Lou," he comments, not liking this.

"Thank you," Lou says.

"Cindy," Maywho calls for her to come forward. She processes. "Let me quote a verse from 'The Book of Who'." He calls for the book which Kyle Ray gives him it. "The term 'Grinchy' shall apply when Christmas spirit is in short supply'." He closes the book. "Now I ask you: Does that sound like our holiday cheermeister?"

"True, Mr. Mayor," she says. "But 'The Book of Who' says this too: 'No matter how different a Who may appear….he will always be welcomed with cheer'."

Everyone gets it by showing smiles.

"Yes, the book also says, the….." he looks through the book, looking for an excuse. "'The award cannot go the Grinch, because sometimes things get the lead pipe crinch'."

"You made that up!" she calls him out. "It doesn't say that."

The Whos look at the Mayor.

"No, it does," he acts all and stuff.

"What page?"

"Lost my place," he nervously lies, looking through the pages before giving the book to his assistant. "It's in here!"

"But the book does say: 'The cheermeister is the one who deserves a back slap or a toast. And it goes to the soul at Christmas who needs it most'. And I believe that soul is the Grinch. And if you're the Whos I hope you are," she says to the Whos, turning around, "you till too."

The Whos see that the seven years old girl is right.

"You people want to waste a perfectly good nomination why, it's up to you," Mayor Maywho smiles, trying to get the Grinch out of the celebraction. "But I am telling you the Grinch and the Lady in Black will never come down."

Kyle Ray side glares at his uncle.

"And when they don't, the Mayor will wear the crown," his assistant grins.

"Well, more or less," he finally agrees.

Everyone cheers at the nomination.

Kyle Ray's heart swell up the emotion. Wherever the Grinch goes, the Lady in Black will be there at his side. So if they do come down maybe he can finally tell her his love for her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Father sleeps peacefully in his bed when he knocked himself unconscious. Max is taking a nap as well, but as for me, I'm more interested in getting something to eat.

The stove that Father found during our adventurous down in Whoville. I restore it into a working oven/store for the open concept of a kitchen.

Food here s mainly rotten foods which Daddy doesn't mind waiting, but there are good food. Either from stolen money or Kyle Ray will on occasion deliver food, especially around Christmas. Which I am grateful for because I can't eat rotten food all the time.

I am almost finish my meal when Christmas music are heard along with singing. A groan of annoyance escapes my lips. Whenever we hear Christmas of any kind, Daddy won't be happy and we don't like it when Daddy isn't happy.

Just as I confirmed, Daddy got out of the neatly made bed I did to tuck him in.

"Must down them out!" he says, placing piles of screws, nuts, and bolts into benders to make a lot of noise. He makes more and more noise to the point of Max and I feeling uncomfortable with it. "Not working!"

"I think it is, Daddy!" I called out to him over the noise, covering my ears.

*No One's POV*

" _The whipper-winds whipped high above the Who towns. A trip or a slip you'd slide all the way down. But this girl has a mission. She knew what to do. She'd invite the Grinch and the Lady in Black herself, that brave Cindy Lou_."

The Grinch brings in the giant monkey and turn it on. It play the things where you clap them together to make loud sounds.

"Play, Monkey! Play!"

Cindy Lou climbs up to the door where she hears the Grinch call out, "Owey!"

"Mr. Grinch, Miss Black?" she calls out, knocking on the door. "Mr. Grinch, Miss Black?" she tries again. Assuming they couldn't hear her, Cindy Lou enters in through the smaller door in the larger door. "Hello?" she calls out inside.

She walks inside to see more of the cave. Down below, the Lady in Black watches her father annoyed when the Grinch has the monkey clap against his head. The seven year old walks down, catching Mercy Grace's attention.

Mercy Grace's dark brown eyes widened surprised to see Cindy Lou and moves behind a little.

"Excuse me," she speaks to the Grinch, tapping on his shoulder.

He stood up straight, holding the things together to stop the monkey. Slowly the Grinch turns to the little girl glaring.

"Hello….little girl," he speaks, trying to scare her. "How dare you enter the Grinch's lair?! The impudence!" he has gone crazy. "The audacity! The unmitigated gall! You called down the thunder now, get ready for the boom! Gaze into the face of fear." He let out a weird sound.

"Mr. Grinch, Miss Black," she says calmly, smiling, taking off her earmuffs. "My name is Cindy Lou Who."

"You see?" he points, acting crazy again. "Even now the terror is welling up inside you," he circles around her smirking.

"She isn't scared, Father," Mercy Grace says.

"Denial is to be expected in face of pure evil," he again tries to scare her.

"I don't think so," Cindy Lou speaks, stopping him.

"Doubt?" the Grinch asked, dramatically. "Another unmistakable sign of the heebie-jeebies! Now, you're doomed!"

"He's always like this," Mercy Grace explains to Cindy Lou.

The Grinch continues on being 'evil' by trying scaring the little girl to the point he got exhausted. His daughter even looks at the readers showing how annoyed she is with her father now.

"Maybe you need a time out," Cindy Lou suggests.

The Grinch looks at her surprised, making her giggle.

"Kids today," he says to the readers with arms crossed. "So desensitized by movies and television." Than he screams at the little girl, making echos, "What do you want?!"

Her eyebrows raised up at the yelling before continuing on with her mission. "Mr. Grinch," she speaks with a smile, pulling out an invite for the Whobilation, "I came to invite you to be holiday cheermeister."

Mercy Grace smiles at this.

"Holiday Whobie-what-y?" he asked confused.

"Cheer-meister," she giggles.

He looks at the invite mumbling something before laughing. "That's a good one." Than he walk away.

"I know you hate Christmas," Cindy Lou says, following him. Mercy Grace follows them. "But what if it's all just a misunderstanding?"

"He won't listen, Cindy Lou," Mercy Grace tells the little girl.

"I, myself, am having some Yuletide doubts, but maybe if you reunite with the Whos and be a part of Christmas…."

The Grinch mocks her words before turning to her, "Grow up!"

"Than maybe it'll be alright for me, too!" she's really trying to get him accept, but failing as they continue on walking around the cave.

"I'm sorry your session is over," he has enough of it while looking at a pretend watch. "Please make another appointment with the receptionist, the Lady in Black, on the way out."

"Please, please. You have to accept the award."

That made the father/daughter duo stop in their tracks.

"Award?" the Grinch likes this. He grabs her and holds her close to the floor. "You never mentioned an award."

"Yea, with a trophy and everything," Cindy Lou explains.

"And I won?"

"You won!"

"That mead there were losers," he realized it.

"I guess. So, if you come-"

"A town of losers!" he says, placing her back upright.

"We like it," Mercy Gracy steps in, smiling.

"Was anyone emotionally shattered?" he asked Cindy Lou with a smile. "Come on, a minute ago, I couldn't shut you up! Details, details!" he gently taps on her cheek.

"The Mayor wasn't happy," she admits.

"Oh, no," the Grinch pretends to be unhappy.

"Martha May and Kyle Ray will be there," she teases with a smile.

"Oh she will?" he crosses his arms, smiling.

She nods her head.

"He will?" Mercy Grace asked with her eyes widened and blushing.

Cindy Lou nods again.

"And she'll see me….a winner," he likes the idea. "She'll be on me like fleegle flies on a flat-faced flugel horse. I'm sorry to disappointment, Martha baby," he points to an empty space, pretending it's his lover, "but the G train has left the station."

"So, will you come?" Cindy Lou smiles.

"Alright," he answers for both of them, making his daughter happy, but she has a bad feeling about what he is going to do now. "I don't know if it's that adorable twinkle in your eye," he walks her towards the door with an arm around her, "or that nonconformist streak that remind me of a younger, less hairy me. But you've convinced me. Who knows?" he got over to the rape hanging down from the ceiling. "This Whobilation could change my entire outlook on life!" he spreads out his arms.

"Really?"

"No," the Grinch glares, pulling the rope.

It made the platform under Cindy Lou's feet open down, causing to let out a yelp and enter the chut back to Whoville. The invite flies out of her hands and end on the cave's floor.

Cindy Lou appears out from the fun ride and onto the snow covered ground.

"There you are, honey!" her father sees her after looking for her for a while. "You can make snow angels laer," he takes her by the hand. "We can't be late for the lighting contest."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

*No One's POV*

Everyone gathers around the two houses, heavily covered with light display. The two who entered into the contest are Martha May and Betty Lour. Now is is the finals.

"And now the excitement of the Whoville Lighting Contest, put your hands together for Martha May Whovier!" the Mayor announces with his own excitement.

The Who citizens cheered as Martha waves back before pressing a button on her wireless remote. Her house lights up into a Winter Wonderland.

He clears his throat before speaking again, "Oh, yea. Betty Lou Who, the mother of the girl who invited the Grinch. Hit it Betty," he signals for her to start.

"Oh Martha," she says from the roof, "looks like you beat me again….except this old gal has got more lights than her lady!" she smiles big. "Come on boys!" she says to her sons, who are on bicycles connected to the power of her lights.

They smiled and begin to cycle, making the lights to turn on. Betty turns on a button on her wired remote. Her theme is Santa Claus, showing the real Santa of where to go.

Everyone seems to like Betty's display more so than Martha's. Kyle Ray is clapping for good sportsmanship. The judges are comparing each other's notes to make a decision. Martha presses another button to make another display of Season Greetings with beautiful decorations. A smile appears on her favore fan's face, knowing she's thinking about her love, daughter, and him as a family in the display.

Betty Lou presses another button to show more of the display with neon light decorations, welcoming Santa.

They both show the last of their displays with either snowflakes or a big Christmas tree and fireworks. It was so bright that the judges had to have sunglasses on to fully look through the details carefully. Soon a decision is made.

The results are handed to the Mayor so he can announce the winner.

"And the winner is…" he opens it and takes a pause when he sees, 'Betty Lou Who' on there, "by….a split decision."

The judges look at each other confused as Kyle Ray glares at his uncle angrily. Martha can tell his face that he's going to say the opposite.

"Martha May Whovier!"

Betty's excitement turn into sadness. Her family clapped anyways to be polite, but her sons die down the power. Martha accepts the award.

*Meanwhile*

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Father let's a yell as he sits up on his chair. "The nerve of the Whos," he says, looking at the invite. "Inviting us down there such short notice. Even if we wanted to go, the schedule wouldn't allow it!"

He snaps his fingers for me to get the schedule. I open it and show it to him.

"4:00, wallow in self-pity," he says, running his finger through each line. "4:30, stare into the abyss. 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one," he smirks to me. I smirked back. "5:30, jazzercise. 6:30, dinner with me."

"You can't cancel that again," I reminded him.

"7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing. I'm booked," the Grinch came to a realization. "If I bumped the loathing 9:00, I'd have time to lay in bed stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness. But what would I wear?"

I smiled with my eyes closed while closing the book. So he really decided to go impress Mommy like he did many years ago.

My normal attire of being the Lady in Black clothed my body as I stand next to Max at the mirror. Father got a tablecloth to wear as a kilt, looking himself in the mirrors. Max barks at him.

"It's a not a dress, it's a kilt!" he annoyed at him, taking it off to reveal a garter on his thigh. "Sicko!" he walks away to get another outfit.

His next one is his pot belly stove one. He looks very uncomfortable.

"This doesn't fit like it used to," he says, confirming my thought.

Fire was still in the suit surprisingly.

The next outfit is his body suit of bees.

"This is more of a Spring look," Father says.

"Agreed," I said.

Not getting anywhere, I've decided to go through his closet.

"Stupid!" I throw an article of clothing. "Ugly! Out of date!"

"This is ridiculous, daughter," he groans. "If I can't find something nice to wear, than we aren't going!" he walks off, but stops at the sound of yalding.

Father took cake of whoever is yalding and returning with lederhosen. I got to admit he looks nice.

"That's it, we're not going," he said after posing.

*Whoville*

It's the Whobilation. Everyone gathers around for the arrival of the Grinch and the Lady in Black.

"It's time for our Holiday Cheer-meister of the Year Award!" the Mayor announces through the speakers.

Martha and Kyle Ray are most excited to see the Grinch and Mercy Grace behind their calm looks and claps.

"Congratulations, Mr. Grinch!" the Mayor faked the congradates. Than quickly have fake shocked. "He isn't here. What? He didn't show? Who could have predicted this?"

Unlike him, the Whos are really concern for the lack of their appearances.

*Mount Crumpit*

*Mercy Grace's POV*

"Alright," Father finally makes a decision after thinking for a few moments. "We'll sin by for a minute, allow them to envy us grab handfuls of popcorn shrimps, and blow out of there."

"Yes Father," I smiled.

We walk over to the drop off when he turns back, "But what if it's a cruel prank? What if it's a cash bar?" I facepalmed his behavior. "How dare they?"

"Daddy, we're going to be late," I said to him, standing on the platform.

"But we'll be fashionably late," he says before arguing with himself. "Alright! I've made our decision!" he gets on the platform as well finally. "We're going and that's that!" Father shows his crossed fingers. "Oh! Had my fingers crossed."

Than Max annoyingly pulls the rope to make us fall into the chute towards Whoville.

"Maybe we should flip a coin!" he yells over my laughter.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

*No One's POV*

*Meanwhile in Whoville*

"I guess the award goes to the runner up," the Mayor quickly decided, pretending to be shocked.

"That's right," his assistant announces into the speakers with a smile. "A man for whom Christmas comes not once a year, but every minute of every day. A handsome, nobleman," Kyle Ray rolls his eyes at this. "A man who had his tonsils removed twice."

Martha is disgusted about that.

"That's an interesting story. You see, what happened was-" he was interrupted by a large sound.

Everyone got out of the way of garbage chute where it opens, shooting out the Grinch and the Lady in Black! They both are screaming at the top of their lungs as the force got them to a drum and to a Whobilation banner. Finally on top of very shocked Martha and Kyle! All four got onto the grounds in a force.

"Hello Martha," the Grinch greeted in her breasts, who is surprised at the touch.

"Kyle Ray?" Mercy Grace asked surprised of the shock almost adult male under her.

"They made it!" Cindy Lou smiles big.

The Grinch stood back up on his feet, leaving gasping Martha on the stairs. He sees the smiles forming on his daughter's face and a Who boy's face under her and grabs her back up. A deadly glare is shot towards Kyle Ray before turning to everyone.

Everyone is scared at every move he did, even he said, 'Boo'. "Hot crowd, hot crowd," he mumbles under his breath, holding Mercy Grace in his arms. "I believe I'm here, with my daughter, to accept an award of some kind. And the child mentioned….a check," he points to Cindy Lou.

"No she/I didn't," Mercy Grace/Cindy Lou said when her parents gets her back protectively.

"Alright, then, give me the award," the Grinch says annoyed, gently his daughter to the aside. "Come on, while I am young!"

"Don't you worry, Mr. Holiday Cheer-meister," the Mayor says to him with the mic in his hand. "You'll get your award. But first, a little family reunion for both of you. They nursed you Grinch." The Lady in Black is confused. "They clothed you. Here they are your old beddies!"

Two figures appear out of the crowd. Both are women in their wiser years and they're happy to see the Grinch again.

"Are you two still living?" he asked with his eyes widened.

"We missed you!" one of them smiled, coming closer to him.

He's annoyed to see them again.

A tap appears on Mercy Grace's shoulder. She turns to see a smiling Martha May. Tears of happiness appear out of the dark brown eyes.

"I missed you, Mommy," Mercy Grace admits, hugging her.

"I missed you too, Mercy Grace," she admits as well, hugging her back.

Kyle Ray's happy to see that the love of his love reunited with her mother after so many years.

The Grinch's caretakers and their friends surrounds him with knitting materials. Soon he reappears again with a light up Christmas sweat, saying, 'I love Christmas'. Mercy Grace thought it was a nice thought for thinking of him, but he freaked.

"Put him in the Chair of Cheer!" everyone cheers.

"What's the Chair of Cheer?" the Grinch asked his daughter. She didn't know either. "You didn't tell us about the Chair of Cheer," he says to Cindy Lou.

"Please Mr. Grinch, please," she begged him.

He tries to get out of this situation when the Chair arrives towards him.

"It's that time of year," the Mayor announces. "The Cheer-meister's ride in the Chair of Cheer!"

"Put me down! I mean it!" he got into the chair by force. "I've got a lawyer. There'll be hell to pay!"

Mercy Grace freaked out when the only parent who has raised her for the past eight years get taken away from her. Kyle Ray and Martha hold her back, assuring her it's okay.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

"First, you'll put your taste buds to the test as you judge the Who pudding cook-off!" the Mayor announces as his assistant echos the last part.

I watch as the Whos stuff his mouth with their homemade pudding. He is definitely not comfortable.

"Mercy Grace?" I hear Kyle Ray's voice behind me, sounding nervous.

"Yes Kyle Ray?" I asked, turning to him.

"Would you like some of my pudding?" he offers me a small bowl of pudding.

"I would love to," I smiled, accepting it.

The pudding is actually my favorite. Simple, yet yummy chocolate pudding.

"Christmas conga!"

Daddy leads a trail of dancing Whos around the tree.

"Look at the time, we should be getting back," he tries to explain to the Whos, but they didn't hear him. "Alright!" he growled at them, begin to dance.

"Fruitcake, tra-la-la!"

Kyle Ray offered me some cinnamon bread due our dislike for fruitcake.

"Fudge Judge."

He will give me something he made at each contest my father is going through in my personal taste.

"And finally…..Nog Off!"

Daddy lays under a device where he drinks the most largest amount of Eggnog I ever seen. I look at him nervously as everyone cheered. Finally he finishes it with his stomach enlarged.

"The all Whoville record….has been broken!"

Everyone around me cheered as I look at this in shock.

Throughout the whole thing I've been worrying about his health to the large amounts of sweets and eggnog he had. Sure, he's burning the calories off by doing physical activities, but still.

A few other kids join in the sack race with Daddy. He 'accidently' bump into them to get closer to the finishing line. I hear next to me Mommy let out a cheer when Daddy became the winner among the other cheers. It makes me happy, knowing she still cares for Daddy.

"He's number one in the sack race run!" the announcer announces, offering a 1st place ribbon to Daddy.

"I'm number one!" Daddy grins happily. "No child can beat the Grinch!" he points to himself.

"He won!" I grinned happily, clapping.

Kyle Ray smiles big as well and clapping.

The Grinch is really happy that he's finally getting respected by the Whos. He's taken to the stage where he joins me, Mommy, Kyle Ray, the Mayor, and his assistant are.

"And now it's time for the moment we've all been waiting for," the Mayor announces.

"Awe, yes! My award. Write the check," the Grinch says to him, making me roll my eyes with a smile.

"There's no check."

"Are you sure? Because I thought I heard someone mention a check," he rubs Mommy's shoulder flirting, making her blush.

"I said, there's no check. And now it's time for Present Pass-it-on!"

Mommy takes a present and says with a smile to a Who next to her, "Merry Christmas." The Who accepted it and continues on a trail throughout Whoville.

I am starting to get worried because Daddy and I weren't aware of this part.

"Merry Christmas, Mercy Grace," Kyle Ray smiles to me, surprising me by placing a beautiful necklace around my neck.

The necklace is beading of white and blue as a silver snowflake hangs down. He also surprises me with matching earrings. A smile appears on my face as I accepted the beautiful gifts.

Soon later, it came back to us mainly to Daddy.

"My turn?" he asked with a smile. The Grinch offers Mommy a wrist watch. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to wrap it."

"That's my watch!" Mayor Maywho says, taking it back.

"Oh, so all of a sudden everything on your wrist belongs to you now," he's annoyed. "So you better get your cuffings back as well!"

"He got nothing!"

"That's not true!" he says to the surprised Whos. "I ordered it from a catalog, but they all are packed and stuff," he made an excuse.

"Oh that's alright," lied the Mayor. "We have something for you."

Mommy went over to get present for him.

Daddy got excited and he opens it. The something inside made him look at it with memories flooding to him. I look to see it's a razor. My eyes widened at this. This is not going to be good.

"The gift of a Christmas shave," Mayor Maywho smiles. "Yes, yes, yes. Good times! Good times."

They weren't good memories for Daddy.

"And now, I have a little something for the love of my life," Mayor Maywho smiles to Mommy, walking over to her. "Martha May," he kneels down on one knee showing a small box! Oh no! "Please become Mrs. Augustus Maywho."

He reveals a ring with three diamonds stack on one another.

Kyle Ray and I look at each other very scared and holding each other.

"Augustus…."

"If you agree to be my wife along with a lifetime supply of happiness," e stands up smiling, "a great college plan for Mercy Grace, and you'll also receive this…...It's a new car!" he announces into the microphone.

We look over shocked to see it's the latest model of a car.

"Generously provided by the taxpayers of Whoville!" The Grinch walks over to the car among the Whos. "What do you say, Martha? You got twenty seconds on the clock."

Music begins to play as she thinks.

'Please Mommy, please don't,' I thought to myself, begging her.

"I….These gifts are quite dazzling," she managed to say through the pressure.

A shrieking sound pierced our ears. Daddy makes a long dent on the car with his fingernail.

"Of course they are," he says, glaring at them. "That's what it's all about, isn't it?" he asked smiling with his hands out. "That's what it's always been about!" the Grinch chuckles before glaring and hands on his hips. "Gifts!" he points to the Whos, scaring. "Gifts. Gifts, gifts, gifts." The Grinch scares them more.

"You want to know what happens to your gifts?" he asked them. "They all come to me and the Lady in Black. In your harbage. You see, what I am saying? In your garbage! I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump!" the Grinch pretends to hang himself. "She can suffocate herself with old, ruined Christmas quilts." He hugs himself tightly as if he's suffocating himself. "And the avarice. The avarice never ends!"

I begin to feel different emotions running through my body and mind as I bowed my head.

" 'I want golf clubs'. 'I want diamonds'. 'I want a pony, so I can ride it twice'," he makes a riding motion, " 'get bored, and sell it to make glue'. Look," he says, seriously, "I don't want to make waves, but this whole Christmas season is stupid, stupid, stupid!

"This is, however, one teeny-tiny Christmas tradition I find quite meaningful," he walks over to Mommy slowly. She gets surprised when he quickly takes the small plant on the small box. "Mistletoe," he has it over his head. "Now, pucker up and kiss it, Whoville!" the Grinch has it now on his bottom, causing Mommy to pass out.

That's when I let out my 'Lady in Black' scream, finally letting out my anger.

Whos run away at the chaos Daddy and I are making. I am sick and tired of everything and I don't care!

"Mercy Grace!" Kyle Ray calls out to me, running over to me from behind.

"Stay away from me Kyle Ray!" I screamed at him, refusing to look at him as I continue on walking.

"For years, I want to stay close to you, but I was forced to stay away from you," he admitted, causing me stop in my tracks surprised. "You are always been the Martha May to my Grinch."

Everything around us was a blur while I turn around to face him. We are about ten feet from each other. Our eyes meet in a similar trance as we always did eight years ago.

"Stay away from her Kyle!" his uncle screams at him, breaking us apart.

We look to see him and his assistant with horrible haircuts running over to us, mainly to him. He had enough of his uncle's ways and behavior behind closed doors. Kyle Ray makes me blush by wrapping his arms around my waist, placing the side of my head and hands on his chest. The death glare on his face shocked the Mayor and his assistant.

Suddenly, we all see fire raising up from where the tree is. The Grinch made the large Christmas tree on fire. It swirls up, making the dead ornaments and branches to dust. Everyone watches in horror as Kyle moves my head away so I wouldn't see how bad it is, but knowing my father, it's really bad.

Kyle Ray takes me away from the scene by my hand.

"I need to leave Kyle Ray!" I said the words I seriously did not want to say, but I must.

"I already lost you eight years ago and I'm going to let that happen again Mercy Grace!"

No matter how much I want to stay with Kyle Ray, I'm the only one that the Grinch listens to.

An explosion is heard stopping us, followed by a yell from the Grinch!

"Father!" I called worried, running away.

"Mercy Grace, wait!" Kyle Ray calls out to me, scared.

"Please Kyle Ray," I look at him with tears in my dark eyes. "I'm so sorry for everything! It's all my fault that all of this happened! I need to make things right now!"

His black eyes look at me widened at my confession. Having no time for answer, I ran towards where Father is which is by a garbage chute and he's beyond happy.

"I quite enjoyed that, daughter!" he grins.

"You really scared me, Daddy!" I tell him with my heart pounding and angrily at him.

His eyes widened at me being angrily. I don't normally get angry unless it's a good reason.

"What a way to ruin the fun, Mercy Grace," he growls.

"Come on, come on," we hear the Mayor say to Whos. "Good thing we have a spare."

Another decorated tree is being hold up.

"Suffering snorkeblatiz! They're relentless!" the Grinch glares at them as I got into the chute.

He presses a button and we are off.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

*No One's POV*

"Only four hours till Christmas!" an announcer announces when when the large time countdown machine strike four hours.

" _Yes, the Grinch knew tomorrow all the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early and rush for their toys_."

"And than, oh the noise!" the Grinch stomps around before echoing the 'oh the noise, noise, noise, noise!'

"They'll bang on tong-tinglers," the Lady in Black glares down to the town. "They'll blow their floo-flounders. They'll crash on jang-jinglers and bounce on boeing-bounders."

" _Than Whos young and old would sit down to a feast, and they'll feast, and they'll feast_."

"And they'll feast feast feast feast!" he jumps up and down angrily. "They'll eat their Who-pudding," he kicks the snow, "rare Who roast beast! And that's something I just cannot stand in the least." Then the grinch realizes it. "Oh, no. I'm speaking in rhyme!" he's disgust.

She watches her father concern as he falls down on a small ledge on his knees.

"Blast you Whos!" he screamed with arms out before miserably falls down frontal.

"And the more the Grinch thought of what Christmas would, bring the more the Grinch thought."

"I must stop this whole thing," he says, raised up.

"What?" asked his daughter.

"Why for year after year," he stands up, "I've put yp with it now. I must stop this Christmas from coming."

"But how?" Mercy Grace asked, following him to the entrance of the cave. He glares at her for rhyming. "I mean in what way?"

He smiles at her in approval.

When they enter in, music of Max's favorite Christmas carol plays loudly. Already mad at the music, the Grinch mocks as if he's a dog towards Max.

"Are you having a holly, jolly Christmas? Wrong-o!" the Grinch throws Max's decorated doghouse out the door along with Max!

He runs out to see the family dog is in the outline of Max next to the doghouse. The Grinch uses a tree to land on the snow so he can pick up Max.

"If you're not going to help me than you might as well….." he looks at his snow covered face.

"Than he got an idea. An awful idea. The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea."

He grins big, "I know just what to do. Daughter!"

*Mercy Grace's POV*  
The next thing I knew, I'm cutting red fabric for Daddy's latest mischief.

" _The Grinch laughed in his throat and Mercy Grace made a quick Santy Claus hat and coat_."

I sewed a costume together before getting green fabric for mine. My costume is an elf costume in a form of a dress. It's made of green velvet fabric that went down to my knees and strapless into a sweetheart neckline. A matching hat sits on my head while some black fabric is along the neckline and around my waist. My legs have black tights and my normal shoes.

"And he chuckled and clucked at this great Grinchy trick."

Daddy loves this finishing results of the costumes.

"With this coat and this hat, I'll look just St. Nick," he grins.

" _You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch_ ," I sing to him with a smirk. " _You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus,_ " the Grinch went into the dump for some supplies, " _and as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch_." He found an old banana peel and eat it. " _With a greasy black peel. Just face the music, you're a monster, Mr. Grinch,_ " she smirks, helping him with making a Santa Claus sled. " _Yes, you are_."

" _Your heart's an empty hole_!" he sings with a blowtorch on.

" _Your brain is full of spiders, you got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch_ ," I sing grabbing a screw from the fire by the pilers and place in Daddy's open mouth. He has it in for a few moments before smiling, cooling it down with steam coming out of his ears and nose. " _I wouldn't touch you with a thirty nine and a half foot pole_."

Max brings over to the Grinch a wrench. He takes it and looks at Max with a glare through his goggles. "I asked for three quarters, not five eighths. Stay focused!" he takes it back and look for the right one.

" _You know, if you asked the whos of Whoville_ ," I sing as he tests the engine. Daddy gives me a thumbs up to press the button. I processed, concern for his safety. " _No one would deny it_ ," I trail out the last word into a scream when he goes towards the wall at a rapid speed.

He somehow manages to get out of the impact. "Air bag is a little slow," he says through the pain. They opened at the moment. "But that's what these tests are for!" he explains, without sounding like he's in pain.

" _You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch_ ," I sing, holding my beating heart. " _You're have termites in your smile_." He looks at himself in the side mirror to show his teeth filled with termites. " _You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch_ ," I made a license plate with the 'MEAN 1' on it where I place it on the sley.

" _Given the choice between you_ ," he sings on the swing from above the sled. " _I'd take the seasick crocodile_!" he trails the last word as he spins around, but he starts to get sick when it's going faster and faster.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:  
*No One's POV*

When it is almost time for the Grinch and Mercy Grace will go to Whoville to steal Christmas, she feels depression. The familiar depression she has always felt ever since she started living with her father. Mercy Grace walks out into the cold, shivering at the touch on her bare arms under the matching shawl covering her shoulders. The jewelry that Kyle Ray has given her are still in their places as if they weren't touched.

A single tear falls down her cheek as she looks down to Whoville. " _If only you could know the things I love to say_ ," she sings from her heart, holding her hands together in front of her. " _If I only I could you tell you what I had been wishing on every Christmas Day_." Her dark eyes look up to the starry night. " _It has been in my dreams, my heart's an open book. You'd see it all at once if only you would look_." Images of Kyle Ray from their childhood and from the Whobilation appear in the night sky. " _If only I could tell you this feeling that I feel_ ," she closes her eyes, looking down to the snowy ground while holding her heart. " _If only you would notice what I've been wanting to reveal. The dreams I've always dreamed, the needs I can't deny. You would see them all if only you would try_." Mercy Grace raises her arms up to her arms to keep her warm. " _All my wishes that I would tell you, I see a wedding and us saying 'I do', then we'll finally start a family_." visions of her wedding with Kyle and seeing a couple of children flashes in her head. " _Oh, how happy I would be_."  
" _I can't shake this feeling that has always been so familiar_ ," Kyle Ray sighs, walking through the quiet, empty streets of Whoville. " _I can't help, but feel dizzy like the way I had felt before_." A flashback of him first meeting her appear. " _Everytime I think about her, it feels like time stopped moving. Almost like the way it did that day at school when she came through the door. Oh, Mercy Grace_."

" _If only my dream would come true. If only in awhile_."

" _Come back, Mercy Grace_ ," he lets out a tear as he looks up to Mount Crumpit.

" _If only I could make my wish come to life and it would me smile_."

" _Mercy Grace_."  
" _But I guess I never will_ ," she cries a few more tears before kneeling down on the snow. " _I guess it doesn't show, but if I ever find a way to find a miracle and so. Oh, what I would give if only you could know_."

" _If only I know how I could make him see the light_ ," Cindy Lou looks through the window up to Mount Crumpit as well, dressed for bed. " _If only I could make him happy and everything will be alright. And if I only could, I'd tell him what I would do. I'd just simply wave my hand and make all of his dreams come true. And wouldn't that suprise him if he only he knew_."

" _I can't believe she suddenly once again disappear into thin air_ ," Martha May sings sadly, holding a picture of her and Mercy Grace as a newborn. " _I had just reunited with her and now again she is gone. I still cannot bear the disappearance of her father or the Mayor teasing him and giving him a glare_." She places the picture down with a sigh before walking over to her Christmas tree. It's a Winter Wonderland tree because of her daughter loving a Winter Wonderland feel. " _If my family don't come back, I don't know how I can go on_."  
" _Oh, Mercy Grace_ ," Kyle Ray sings.

" _If only you come home_."

" _If only I could help him_ ," Cindy Lou sings.  
" _Come home, Mercy Grace_ ," he holds the Christmas ornaments that she made for him on their last Christmas together.

" _If only Kyle and I were together, we'd be happy at last_ ," Mercy Grace sings.

" _Mercy Grace_ ," he sings.

" _If only you come back and we'll celebrate the holiday_ ," Martha May sings, holding a picture of her when she was five years old on the tree.

" _I wish a Christmas miracle would come_ ," Cindy Lou sings, pressing her small hand on the window.

" _But Christmas is almost here and I still can't get over my past_ ," Mercy Grace sings, thinking about when the Mayor throw her into the chute.  
" _You're my one and only child in this land_ ," Martha sings, getting ready for bed.

" _If only a miracle could happen right now_ ," Mercy Grace sings to a bright star.

" _I am still feeling so low_ ," Martha gets into bed.

" _I'd give anything to make the Christmas spirit in the Grinch happen_ ," Cindy Lou walks over to her bed.

" _You'd always be my little girl inside of you like you were long ago_ ," Martha opens a drawer next to her to pull out a small polar bear that is her daughter's first stuffed animal.

" _How I wished our time at the Whobilation could have been so much fun_ ," Kyle Ray sighs, crossing his arms and leaning against a wall of a building.  
" _Oh_ ," Cindy Lou sings, pulling the covers over her body.

" _I really wanted to be with Kyle Ray, but my father won't let me go_ ," Mercy Grace sings sadly.

" _If only_ ," Kyle Ray sings.

" _Oh, what I would give if only you could know_ ," Mercy Grace, Cindy Lou, and Martha May sings together.  
" _When I tell her my feelings, our wedding will begin_ ," Kyle Ray sings, placing his hand in his coat pocket to grip on something inside. " _And all our dreams will come true, but now I'll never see her again_."

" _If only_ ," Mercy Grace sings softly.

" _If only_ ," Cindy Lou sings softly, closing her eyes to sleep.

" _If only_ ," Martha May sings softly, closing her eyes to sleep as well.

A couple hours later, the Grinch, Max, and I wait patiently for Santa to finish his time in Whoville. Daddy and I have binoculars to see better.

"Fat boy should be finishing up anytime now," he says. "Talk about a reduse," he places his down. "He only comes out once a year, and he never catches any flack for it!" he puts them back up.

"Probably lives up there to avoid the taxes, Daddy," I said.

"Merry Christmas!" Santa tells the Whos before flying off.

"Oospie," he says, realizing it, putting his binoculars down. "Forgot about the reindeer!"

I place mine down.

" _Did that stop the old Grinch? No. The Grinch simply said:_ "

"If I can't find a reindeer," he says smiling, looking at Max. "i'll make on instead."

He tries to grab him, but he runs off.

"Oh, Max….!"

Max closes his personal door with 'do not disturb!' on it.

" _So he called his dog, Max and he took some red thread and tied a big horn on top of his head_."

I sit down on a chair, curious on how things are going to go with Max as our reindeer.

"Alright," Daddy says to our dog with a different hat on. "You're a reindeer. Here's your motivation," he acts like a director. "You're Rudolph, a freak with a red nose, nobody likes. Than one day, Santa picks you and you save Christmas. No, forget that part," he tells him. "We'll improvise. Just keep it kind of loosey goosey. You hate Christmas! You're gonna steal it! Saving Christmas was a louse ending," he sits down next to me with his hearing device. "Way too commercial. Action!" he says into the device.

Max takes off his nose making the Grinch excited.

"Brillant! You reject your own nose because it represents the glitter of commercialism! Why didn't I think of that? Cut, print, check the gate. Moving on," he says walking away, leaving us confused.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Everything is ready for our latest mischief. Daddy starts up the slay and it begins to move.

"That feels good," he says through the motions. "The Grinch gives our slay some gas and we start up more. "Here goes nothin', hot dog and sweet daughter!" he says to Max and I. Fire appears out of the slay behind us. "Wow!"

"This is nuts, Daddy!" I tell him, freaking out.

He simply snickers and stands up to say, "On, Crasher! On, Thrasher! On, Vomit and Batzorig."

The slay begins to move forward at a force, making us screams. Especially when we begin to spin in circles and Max fell out of our slay. Luckily there's a long strap holding him to us.

"We're gonna die!" I screamed horrified as we went straight towards Whoville.

"We're gonna die!" Daddy screams as well. "I'm going to throw up, and than I'm gonna die!"

"Daddy make it stop!" I hold onto him tightly by his arm.

Soon we finally got up right. My heart is beating a thousand miles an hour.

"Almost lost our cool there," was all he said when he and I managed to calm down.

He picks the closet house so he can land this thing.

" _All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air. All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care when he came to the first little house on the square…._ "

"Welcome to Whoville, Max and Mercy Grace," Daddy says, officially landing it. "Come on, daughter," he smirks at me. "This is our first stop."

" _The old Grinchy Claus hissed and he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist. He'd slide down the chimney, a rather tight pinch, but if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch_."

I tie his ankles with a long rope colored in red and white.

"He's planning a double-twisting interrupted forward flying two and a half with a combo tuck and pike," Daddy mumbled to himself, raising his arms up. "High degree of difficulty."

Surprisingly, the Grinch did want he wanted, but gets stuck in the chimney entrance.

" _He got stuck only once, for a moment or two_."

"Blasted water weight! Goes right to my hips."

I snickered at his complaining.

*No One's POV*

The Grinch manages to get unstuck to where the fireplace.

"Than he stuck his out of the fireplace flute."

He shushes the narrator. "A little more stealth, please," he requested.

" _Where the little Who stockings all in a row_."

"These stockings," the Grinch has a jar of moths.

" _He grinned_."

"Are the first thing to go," he says, opening the jar. "Okay, fellas. Show time."

A large series of moths scatter around the stockings to eat them all.

Mercy Grace brings in the large suction tube to get as much as possible. The Grinch is happy of his daughter's performance.

" _Than he slunk to the icebox_."

He return inside to get to it and open it.

" _He eyed the Whos' feast. He took the Who pudding. He took roast beast_."

"Hike!" he called out, throwing the roast beast like a football player.

" _He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why that Grinch, he even took their last can of Who hash_."

The Grinch opens to cabitent ro reveal the last can.

" _Than he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee_."

A bag of the food went up the chimney where Mercy grace grabs it to the slay.

"And now," he grins to the tree. "I'll stuff the tree!"

"And the Grinch grabbed the tree and he started to shove, when he heard of a small sound like the coo of a dove."

"Excuse me?"

It's Cindy Lou wearing her pajamas and walking down the stairs. He quickly covers himself with the tree.

" _The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who daughter who'd got out of be for a cup of cold water_."

"Mr. Santa, what are you doing with our tree?" she asked, thinking it's Santa as she walks over towards them.

" _But you know, that old Grinch, was so smart and so slick, he thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick_."

"Why my sweet little tot," he makes his best Santa voice with his arms out.

" _The fake Santa Claus lied_."

"There's a light on this tree that won't," he breaks a light, "light on one side. So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear," he makes the little girl giggle. "I'll fix it up there, than I'll bring it back here."

"Santa, what's Christmas really about?" she asked him.

"Vengeance!" the Grinch reveals himself accidently, startling her. "I mean...presents I suppose."

She sighs, "I was afraid of that."

" _And his fib fooled the child. Than he patted her head and he got her a drink, and he sent her to bed_."

"Santa," she speaks up at a high step.

"What?"

"Don't forget the Grinch." Her request surprises him. "I know he's mean and hairy and smelly. His hands might be cold and clammy." He looks at his hands. "But I think he's actually kind of sweet."

"Sweet? You think he's sweet?"

She nods her head with a smile before saying, "Merry Christmas Santa."

Than Grinch covers his ears in disgust as she walks up the stairs.

" _And when Cindy Lou went up with her cup…._ "

"Nice kid," he says to himself. "Bad judge of character."

" _He went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up. And the last thing he took was the log for their fire. On their walls he left nothing, but some hooks and some wire. And the one speck of food that he'd left in the house was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse_."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Daddy wants me to do a few houses on my own. One of them is actually Kyle Ray's house. It's a multi family structure with three houses together. The first one is the main one that is more into Whoville while the other two are almost hidden away. I didn't realize it until I am getting a long wreath that was hanging up on the wall. My shrawl is removed from my shoulders so that I can get some of the heater in the house.

"Mercy Grace?"

I turn around startled to see Kyle Ray standing in front of me on the other side of the living room.

"Kyle Ray!" I exclaimed, whispering.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused, getting closer to me. His eyes begin to trail down at the outfit that I am wearing.

My head bowed in shame as a blush covers my face. This is all Daddy's idea and not mine and yet, I am unable to tell him.

Somehow, he knew.

"Look at me," he whispers.

His fingers hold my chin and move my face to him. Our eyes meet and I can see the one emotion that I never seen before outside of my family. Love. Kyle places both of his hands on my cheeks as I melt into the touch. Our eyes slowly closed as we lean into each other. Than our lips meet into a very beautiful kiss. Christmas carols singing into the darkness that we are in. A forest of light up Christmas trees surround us. My first kiss feels like a Christmas miracle. The years that I have been with Daddy, I will often think about kissing Kyle Ray. It's even better than I ever imagine.

A blush appears on my face when things got a little heated. His hands slide down to my hips when I wrap my arms around my arms around his neck. Our lips are moving in sync. Kyle Ray's hands move towards my bottom toward the back of my thigh. Blushing, I move my leg up to wrap around his hip as he rubs his hand on my black tights covered leg. He ask for permission to enter my mouth which I granted him. Our tongues meet when he gently pushes me to the wall behind me. It's so wrong to be in love with the Mayor's nephew, but it feels so right.

When we slowly pull away, he kisses down my jaw towards my bare neck around the necklace. Moans appear out of my mouth as the pleasures shivering down my spine and whole body.

"Such a gorgeous girl that you have become," he growls in my ear, causing me go weak. "When you throw yourself onto me like that, I couldn't help but be stunned of your beauty." His words are making me go weaker and weaker while moaning in his ear. My arms tightened their grip around him when he moves my other leg up to his other hip. "I always knew you are the one for me even where we were kids."

"Kyle Ray," I moan in his ear.

"Say my name again," he growls in pleasure, kissing me again.

"Kyle Ray," I moan again, kissing him back.

"Please, stay with me," he whispers in my pale flesh.

"I wish I could," I moan at his hot breath. "But I must return back."

"Please," Kyle Ray begs for me to stay, looking at me in the eyes.

I look back to his eyes letting him know that I do want to stay, but I need return.

"Kyle Ray," I speak, going to confess everything. "I still have all of the cards you have given me."

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Yes," I blushed. "All one hundred and forty four of them. Also the food you also deliver are all delicious as well."

"I did all of that because I love you so much," he confesses, showing me the love in his eyes. "I've been in love with you since we first met."

"Kyle Ray," I'm surprised, but smiled and show him my love in my eyes. "I've been in love with you as well since we first met."

He smiles back, kissing me again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Kyle Ray gives me an idea to add to the biggest mischief ever. He has rope and a large hook. It makes me smirk. We want revenge on his uncle for what he did to me and Daddy.

We quietly sneak into the Mayor's part of the multi family home. Ours hands are together tightly as we got inside his bedroom. He places his index finger on his pale lips, telling me to be quiet. I nod my head.

I kneel down on the floor at the foot of the bed. Kyle Ray joins me so we work together to tie the end of the rope tightly on the foot of the bed. The rope trails out the window where he hook the police car.

The way Kyle Ray being mischief is actually making me even more inside, warmer than we were making out earlier He smiles to my smiling face as he stood up. My cover up is back on when we got outside.

"Whatever happens in the morning," he says softly, "you, me, and your parents are still going to be together, whether it is in Whoville, Mount Crumpit, or anywhere we call home."

"Really?" I asked with a smile.

"Really, really." he smiles more.

We kiss again before I leave again. After a few feet, I turn my head back to give him a smile, telling him I love him through my eyes.

He returns the look, knowing we are going to be together one way or another.

Daddy and I finish up with everything that we can get. He laughs his laugh of his own glee and evil as I turn off all of the lights of Whoville. The Grinch continues to laugh when the slay begins to starts up from the ground, but after a few seconds from being in the air, it fell down!

Max shows us what's the problem. The gas moneter shows us that the arrow was a steady low 'GOING GOING' before quickly go to the end of the red 'GONE'.

Our dog lets out what sounds like a laugh, making Daddy glare at him.

"What are you laughing at," he asked him, glaring, before leaning in closer to him, "Rudolph?"

So now here we are, getting pulled by our small dog to the very top of Mount Crumpit.

"It's all you, Maxie!" Daddy calls out to him.

"Daddy! Is this really nessorcity?!" I said to him, worried for our beloved animal.

" _Three thousand feet up, up the side of Mount Crumpit they rode with their load to the tiptop to dump it_."

Max fell down out of exhaustion. Still worried terribly for him, I got out of the slay to aid him.

"We did it!" Daddy echos his enjoyment throughout the outskirts of the forests down below. "We did it! We did it!" he claps and dances for his excitement. "That wasn't so bad, was it, Max and Mercy Grace?"

I glare at Daddy for what he put Max through as I hug him in my arms.

"They'll be waking up now and I know just what they'll do," he smiles, "All those Whos down in Whoville will all cry."

*Kyle Ray's POV*

The morning came for everyone to see that their Christmas stuff have been stolen, possibly they knew it was from the Grinch and the Lady in Black.

"What an embarrassment! I've been robbed!" the police says panicking, getting into his car where the rope is connected to my uncle's bed.

It makes me secretly smirk at the impact. Uncle Augustus's bed came out flying out of the shattered window and wall into the middle of Whoville. A small snicker appears out of my closed mouth. He got what he deserves.

"Mayor Maywho?" the police asked surprised of his appearance when he got out of the car. "Oh, dear."

Everyone gathers around to see the Mayor in his bed just as shocked as him. Martha came to my side where she holds on my arm. I simply nod at her, telling her that I am alright. She nods back, understanding me.

"Well, I wonder who could have done this," he says, getting out of his bed for his assistant to put on his robe. "Tell you people one thing….Invite the Grinch and the Lady in Black destroy Christmas. Invite the Grinch and the Lady in Black destroy Christmas!" he yells, hitting his bed. "But did anyone listen to me?"

"I did," smiled his assistant.

"No. You choose to listen to a little not to be taken seriously," he chuckles before saying seriously, "girl who hasn't even grown into her nose yet. Cindy, I hope you're very proud of what you've done," he points at the little girl.

I shook my head at this.

The mayor begins to walk away when a familiar voice speaks up, "If she isn't, I am." Her father stepped up, making everyone gasp. "I'm glad he took our presents."

"What?"

"I…..I'm glad," he smiles.

"You're glad," the mayor smiles. "You're everything is gone," he walks over to him. "You're glad that the Grinch and the Lady in Black virtually wrecked-no, not wrecked-pulverized Christmas. Is that what I'm hearing. Lou?"

"You can't hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor," Lou simply smiles, "because it isn't about the gifts or the contests or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell everyone!" His words makes Cindy Lou and I smile. "And me. She's been trying to tell me."

"What's wrong with you?" the mayor didn't like this. "This is my child!"

"She's my child. And she happens to be right, by the way," he pokes him. Everyone begins to realize that as well. "I don't need anything more for Christmas than this right here," Lou walks over to his wife and kids. "My family!" Cindy Lou hugs her father.

The Whos says 'Merry Christmas' to each other with happy smiles. I smiled up to Martha who realized of what she has done over the years.

"Merry Christmas, Martha," I said to her.

"Merry Christmas, Kyle Ray," she smiles back.

"Merry Christmas, you hunk of burnin' Who!" Betty Lou kisses her husband like crazy.

I rolled my eyes at this, shaking my head with a smile.

Cindy Lou looked up to Mount Crumpit before looking at us with a smile and a nod. A smile appears on my face, knowing what she is going to do.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

*No One's POV*

Cindy Lou walks over to the nearest garbage chute and makes the ride towards the dump with a laugh of joy. She rolls down into a landing within the garage before calling out, "Mr. Grinch? Ms. Black?" On top of Mount Crumpit lays a large red bag of Christmas stuff.

"Now for the final note in my symphony of downright nasty not-niceness!" the Grinch smirks, overly joyed. "The crescendo of my odious opus!" he begins to push with all of his might for the sley to go over the mountain.

"Daddy! Is this really nessoscority?" Mercy Grace asked, concerned of his mental stage.

"The wailing and the gnashing of teeth," he says, ignoring her question. "The bellowing of the bitterly bummed out! It'll be like music to my ears!" he struggles to push the sley off.

Suddenly a sound catches their attention.

" _Than the Grinch and the Lady in Black heard a sound rising over the snow. It started to in low, then it started to grow. But the sound wasn't sad. Why this sounded merry. But it was merry. Very. Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, were singing without any presents at all. They hadn't stopped Christmas from coming. It came_."

She looks down to Whoville with a surprised look while her Daddy glares down to them, taking off his hat. He jumps down to another platform on the mountain to continue his confusion and anger.

"Somehow or other, it came just the same!" he growls while Max and she follow him down.

"Mr. Grinch? Ms. Black?" Cindy Lou asked, calling for them, walking over to the sley.

" _And the Grinch, with his Grinch feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling, and puzzling_."

"How could it be so?" he asked, turning to his daughter and dog. "It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

" _And he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Than the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before_."

"Maybe Christmas," the Grinch realizes it.

" _He thought_."

"Doesn't come from a store…..Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more," he smiles softly before feeling his heart pump hard, hurting him.

"Daddy!" Mercy Grace calls out scared when he went back, holding his heart.

He let out screams from the pain of his heart and arm, making his daughter froze in the snow, not knowing what to do.

"Mercy Grace! Max! Help me!" he calls out to them, in pain. "I'm feeling!"

"What?" she asked confused, kneeling down on her knees.

" _And what happened then, well, in Whoville they say, that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day_."

The Grinch sit up right and begins to cry. Something her daughter have never seen before.

"What's happening to me?" he asked his daughter. The Grinch looks up to see the sunrise, brighter than usual. "I'm all toasty inside. And I'm leaking," he notices his tears. "Oh Mercy Grace, Max," he turns to his family. "I have always love you both!" he spreads out his arms for a hug.

A huge smile appears on Mercy Grace's face when she sees that. Max and her attacks the Grinch down on the snowy ground where she hugs him tightly and Max gives him kisses.

"Alright, that's enough," he says after a while. "Knock it off. Beat it!" he's serious about it. "One step at a time you two," he tells the smiling family.

The sleigh moves a little, catching their attention.

"Oh no, Daddy. The sleigh!" Mercy Grace tells him, looking up at the sleigh.

"The presents. They'll be destroyed! And I care! What is the deal?" he conflicted with himself before realizing his daughter and dog already got up to where the sleigh is. "Wait!" he calls out, running up there.

*Mercy Grace's POV*

What are we going to do!? What are we going to do!? Daddy got ahead of me and calls out, "No!" while jumping to get to closer to the handles of the sleigh, but failed. He crawls to get it which he did to pull back.

I got in to pull him back when he got into a better position. My hands are around his waist as I help him get everything back.

"Oh, well," Daddy says, realizing it's going to work. "It's just toys, right?"

"Hi, Mr. Grinch and Ms. Black."

We look up surprised to see the little girl Cindy Lou on top of the bag.

"Cindy Lou!" I yelled out, terrified. "What are you doing up there?"

"I came to see you both," she answers simply. "No one should be alone on Christmas."

Daddy and I smiled at her kind heart before realizing how serious this is. Cindy Lou got scared and seeing that something snapped inside of the Grinch. I pulled back out of my fingers giving out. Daddy pulled with all his might, maybe even more to lift up the whole sleigh!

"I got you, Cindy Lou!" he calls out with the whole thing above his head.

"You did it!" she calls back.

Max and I are beyond excited of what he has done!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

I drive the sleigh down the mountain towards Whoville with Cindy Lou as my passenger who holds the family dog, Max. Huge smiles appear on our faces while Daddy holds onto Max's rope to the sleigh as he snowskies down the mountain behind us. We are doing the right thing of returning Christmas to everyone. Base on his enjoyment, he's having fun. Cindy Lou is having fun while giggling at the fast speed we are going at.

At some point, we hear the Grinch yelling and flying above us to stop on the bag before falling in front of us on the engine.

"Are you alright Daddy?" I asked him worried.

"Are you kiddin' sweet daughter?" he asked me, smiling. "The sun is bright and the powder's bitchin'!" I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Now scott over! It's my turn to drive!" he gets into the driver seat while I scoot closer to Cindy Lou. We titled up and down at some point, making us laugh. "I'd better slow this buggy down!" Daddy puts on the brakes, but it got broke.

"We're gonna crash!" Cindy Lou and I said to him.

"Now you to me, young ladies," he points to us. "Even if we're horribly mangled there'll be no sad faces on Christmas."

We nodded with smiles. All of us screamed when we see a tree in our path. He turns the steer as we hold onto each other.

*Back in Whoville*

*Kyle Ray's POV*

Everyone sees something coming down from the mountain.

"Help!" we hear the voices of Cindy Lou and Mercy Grace.

"Cindy!" Betty Lou calls is terrified of her daughter's safety.

"Grinch?" Martha asked happily.

"Mercy Grace?" I asked happily.

"My baby!" Betty Lou exclaims out, looking for something to use for rope.

Martha helps her with the light display, commenting the lights matched her pajamas perfectly.

"Everyone out of the way!" I ordered the Whos.

*Mercy Grace's POV*

"This could be more difficult negotiate," Daddy says, trying to stop.

"Hurry! Out of the way!" Kyle Ray orders the Whos more.

Mommy and Cindy Lou's mother I believe has a light display to stop us.

"Out of the way! We have no insurance!" Daddy tells them.

The impact caused them to join with us in the out of control ride. Only the mothers. Daddy and I tell the Whos to move out of the way or run for their lives while screaming.

"Daddy, move!" Cindy Lou says to a Who who's at the tree with his hand out to stop us.

"Dad, move it!" Daddy mocks.

Somehow he manages to stop the sleigh from crashing into the tree.

"Thanks for the help there, Lou," the Grinch says to him which I nodded with a smile, agreeing with him.

"Hi, Daddy!" Cindy Lou smiles.

"Hi, Cindy, honey!" he smiles back.

"Merry Christmas one and all!" Daddy smiles big to the Whos as if he's like Santa Claus.

"Cindy!" her mother came in terrified, but is happy to see her safe and sound.

"Mommy!" Cindy Lou smiles back, hugging her mother.

A motorcycle sound came in and Kyle Ray sees me with a big smile. "Mercy Grace!" he exclaims, helping me out of the sleigh bridal style.

"Kyle Ray!" I smiled back just as big, hugging him back the neck.

"Alright, what do we have here?" the policeman came being serious.

"You got us, officer!" Daddy says, jumping down. "I did it! I'm the Grinch that stole Christmas."

"And I helped as well," I speak up, getting out of Kyle Ray's warm embrace, joining him.

"And we're sorry," we both said at the same time, offering our fists to him, but he didn't do anything.

"Aren't you gonna cuff us, sir?" I asked him.

"Put us in a choke hold? Blind us with pepper spray?" Daddy asked him.

"You heard him, officer," of course the Mayor steps in. "They admitted it. I'd go with the pepper spray," he says to him.

"Yes, I heard them, alright," the officer says. "They said they were sorry." That makes us smile and the Mayor in disbelieve. "Besides, it looks like everything is all here and accounted for."

I smiled more, running into Kyle Ray's inviting arms for a warm hug.

"Help out here, people." The Mayor didn't like this at all. "Martha?!" he calls for Mommy.

"Merry Christmas, Augustus Maywho!" she calls out from top of the bag. "I'm afraid I do have something for you!" She slides down to the ground, letting out a yell. "Your ring back," she gives him back the ring. "Sorry, but my heart has always belong to someone else." Mommy looks at Daddy, making us very happy.

Daddy lets out a happy dance before offering his hand to the shocked Mayor. "No hard feelings?" he smirked at him. He accepts it while the Grinch laughing at him. "Cheer up, dude. It's Christmas."

Daddy fixes a light on the tree, lighting up the whole town. Everyone cheers at the sight which he shyly accepts the cheer.

" _Fah who foraze, dah who doraze_ ," Cindy Lou sings, beginning the Who song.

" _Welcome, Christmas, come this way_ ," everyone joins in as she brings the Grinch to the line up. " _Fah who foraze, dah who doraze. Welcome, Christmas, Christmas Day. Welcome, welcome, fah who rahums. Welcome, welcome, dah who dahmus. Christmas Day is in our grasp. So long as we have hands to clasp_!"

" _Fah who ray-moo, ya-who he haw_ ," Daddy sings along, without knowing the lyrics.

" _Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer_ ," Mommy corrected him.

"Cheer!"

" _Fah who foraze, Dah who doraze_ ," I sing with a chuckle at my parents before singing with Kyle Ray.

" _Welcome all Whos…..far….and…..near_!"


	20. Chapter 20 final

Chapter 20:

*Mercy Grace's POV*

Daddy offers to have the feast at our cave which everyone, exact for the Mayor and his assistant, accepted. So it's scheduled for late afternoon/early evening. So everyone can enjoy presents before getting ready for the feast.

Kyle Ray wants to spend some time with me before the feast. At this time, I want to get some sleep because I only got a few hours of sleep last night.

Mommy proposes for me to rest at Kyle Ray's place, but Daddy didn't like the idea one bit. She somehow convinced him by offering to help cooking the feast.

I lay down on his couch by the fireplace to warm up. Kyle Ray helps me with my boots and place a nice, warm blanket over my body.

"Rest, my love," he smiles, tucking me in. "When you awaken, we will spend some Christmas together before the feast."

"Okay Kyle Ray, I love you," I smiled back sleepily.

"I love you so much Mercy Grace."

Our lips meet into a kiss.

A couple hours later, smells of hot chocolate awakens me and my body. My body stretches as I made some moans.

"Did I wake you?" Kyle Ray asked appearing next to me on the couch with two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Oh, no you didn't," I sit up with a smile.

"Hot chocolate?" he offers one of them to me.

"Yes, please," I smiled, accepting it.

I take a nice sip of the delicious warm liquid and my insides warm up.

"Are you hungry? I have some grilled chicken sandwiches with everything you like on them."

"I would like that very much."

Once I finish my drink, he takes the cup and return to the kitchen. A blushing smile covers my face as I have my hand on my cheek. Kyle Ray is treating me as if I'm like his girlfriend or maybe…..his wife. I actually like it a lot.

The sandwich really fille dme up since I haven't eaten anything since the Whobilation last night.

"Would you like to shower?" he asked me. "Your mother brought over supplies and clothes for today for you."

"She did?"

"Yea," he smiles, nodding his head. "You can use the guest shower if it makes you comfortable."

"I'll be okay with that."

Kyle Ray shows me where the shower is and I enter in with the door locked behind me. Inside has Christmas decorations for a bathroom. Simple, but beautiful.

The shower's large in white on white tiles. The title aren't my cup of tear, but the size of the shower is.

Warm almost hot water turns as my clothing ets removed. My normal routine goes by the supplies Mommy brought us. At some point, I could have sworn I heard the door being gently open and a few seconds later the door gently closes. Properly Kyle Ray wants to place something here without me knowing. A blush appears on my pale face when I thought of about that.

Soon I finish up to get dressed. My mouth tasted like mint as I put on my outfit for today and the feast. It's a green long dress that shows off my body and into a sweetheart neckline with a black lace overlay on my arms and the top part of the dress with black beading of snow flakes on my bust and stomach area. I tie a black sash around my waist while black tights on my legs and my heeled boots.

My hair has always been down ever since I reunited with Daddy, but now that we reunited with everyone, maybe something long forgotten might be nice to have again.

Soon later, the mirror shows me my reflection. I'm a grown up version of my eight year old self. My hair is in two braided loops like before as my face has simple makeup similar to Mommy's makeup. The jewelry actually goes well with the outfit.

I take a deep breath before heading out to show Kyle Ray. When I arrived to the living room he's on the couch reading a book, waiting for me. I blush at the sight to this attire.

He's wearing black slacks with a black collared dress shirt under a red tie and red suit jacket. Black old fashioned dress shoes are on his feet as his long hair is pulled into a low ponytail.

"Kyle Ray?" I asked, getting his attention.

His black as night eyes look up and immediately went wide at my appearance.

"Mercy Grace?" he asked surprised of what I look now.

I blush more, nodding my head. I suddenly feel shy like I did when we first met. My head turns away due to shyness and his lack of response.

"You're beautiful, my love," he says to me softly to my ear.

My head turns back to see him looking down to me by our height difference with a smile on his face. The blush darkens a little more as I smiled back shyly.

"Thank you, you're handsome," I whisper softly.

"There's something I want to show you at the forest," he says suddenly as his smile grows a little more.

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

Kyle Ray simply smiles more, gently taking my hand. He leads me outside and towards the forest just outside of the town. Before we went any further, my love turns to me with something in his hands.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, holding a black blindfold.

"Yes, but what is this about?" I asked, really confused of the blindfold.

"You'll see," he simply smiles.

When we arrived to the forest, Kyle Ray wraps the blindfold around my eyes and under the loops in my hair. I am getting a little nervous about this, but I trust him completely.

He holds me by the arms next to me as I am being lead by him into the forest. My boots make footprints in the snow.

"Where are we going?" I asked, showing him how uncomfortable I am.

"You'll see," I can feel the smirk on his face.

"Haha, very funny," I sarcastically said with a smirk as well.

Soon later, Kyle Ray positions me to stand in place and takes off the blindfold. My eyes open to see something on a tree that I haven't seen since I was six years old.

"Oh my gosh," I mumbled to myself, seeing a familiar sight.

"Do you remember this?" he asked me with a smile.

"Yes."

*Flashback*

Mommy, Kyle Ray, and I were playing in the forest on a nice Winter day. He and I are playing hide and seek with a twist. One must make a part of a snowwho when they are found.

"Don't go too far and be safe!" Mommy calls out with a smile.

"Okay, Mommy!" I called back, smiling.

Kyle Ray and I are laughing, having a good time. Soon later, a snowwho is fully made with my green scarf and his black hat.

"What should we name him?" I asked, placing black coals as his buttons, mouth, and eyes.

"What name do you like for him?" Kyle Ray asked, placing his branches on him like arms.

"Umm, how about Klaus with a K?" I suggested blushing a little.

"I like that name," he smiles.

I smiled back to the eight year old boy.

"Hey I have an idea," Kyle Ray says, getting something from his pocket.

He pulls out a pair of black scissors.

"Why do you have scissors?" I asked confused.

No answer was spoken, but shown. He takes my by the hand to a nearby tree. I watch to see him carve it not he bark of the trunk with the letters 'KR' with a plus sign and than 'MG'. A blush covers my pale cheeks when he carves a heart around it.

"A little something for us," he smiles to me.

*Reality*

"You always knew we were meant to be," I smiled softly, having my hand on the engraving.

"Because you are the only one for me, Mercy Grace Whovier-Grinch."

I turn around to ask him why he said my full name, but get shocked of what i see in front of me. He's on one knee and holding an open box of a beautiful silver ring with a snowflake.

"Will you marry me?" he smiles.

"Yes," I smiled back, feeling tears of happiness, for the first time ever, running down my face.

He smiles back happily as well, sliding the most gorgeous ring in all of Whoville on my finger.

"Oh my gosh, Kyle Ray!" I smiled big to him as he stood up on his feet.

"I love you so much, future Mrs. Whoheart," he says the perfect title for me.

He will often tell me how much he really wants to legally change his name to his mother's maiden name. Especially since he's now almost eighteen.

"I love you so much, Mr. Whoheart," I smiled back, pressing the side of my head on his chest with my hands on him and my eyes closed.

Kyle Ray holds me tight, wrapping me with all of his love. I feel so safe and protected.

*No One's POV*

At a distance, Martha and the Grinch watches their precious little girl getting engaged to the Who she loves.

"She's like you, Martha," the Grinch says to Martha.

"They're taking a leap of faith like we did when we were twenty years old," Martha smiles to him, holding his arm with her hands. On her ring finger shows the unique ring he made for her. A golden ring with two emeralds, one on each side of a large red ruby. "Kyle Ray is perfect for our little girl. He's nothing like his uncle."

"Yes, she's in good hands," he smiles. "I love you Martha," he kisses the top of her head.

"I love you too, Grinch," she smiles, leaning to give him a kiss on his lips.

" _So they brought back the toys and the food for the feast. And he-he, himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast_."

"Yea," he smiles, craving it.

Everyone cheers in the beautiful decorated Christmas cave. Cindy Lou offers Max some of the toast beast while I offer my new finance his share with a smile.

"There's nothin' like the holidays," Daddy comments. "Who wants the gizzard?" he calls out.

"I do!"

"Too late! That'll be mine."

Kyle Ray and I kiss each other with my hand showing the readers my ring.

" _Where are you, Christmas? I think I've found you. This time I'll make you stay. All will be singing. Bells will be ringing. Now and forever. Christmas Day_."

The end…..or maybe a squeal?


End file.
